Parents of 4-year-olds living in Watauga County can now apply for their children to attend pre-kindergarten classes, formally known as the NC Pre-K program, for the 2016-17 school year.
The program serves children who will be four years old on or before August 31 provided that they meet state eligibility standards and that space is available. The state’s eligibility standards include household income, developmental delays, and other factors. Children of certain military families may qualify without having to meet the standard criteria for household income or other factors.
All applications for NC Pre-K in Watauga County will be handled by The Children’s Council of Watauga County. Application forms are available from the Children’s Council website (www.thechildrenscouncil.org/) and the parents and students page of the Watauga County Schools website (www.watauga.k12.nc.us). Paper applications will be available at the Children’s Council (225 Birch Street in Boone) and the Gragg Education Center (175 Pioneer Trail, Boone).
Families that would like help with the application are invited to come to one of the application assistance sessions that will be offered beginning April 8th.
The sessions will be offered from 9-10 a.m. on the following schedule:
- April 8th at Valle Crucis;
- April 15th at Hardin Park;
- April 22nd at Parkway;
- April 25th at the Gragg Education Center;
- April 29th at Cove Creek; and
- May 6th at Green Valley.
Translation services will be available at each site.
Applications will be accepted by the Children’s Council from April 1st through May 16th. Questions about applications may be directed to Hunter Varipapa at 828 262-5424 or hunter@thechildrenscouncil.org.
Pre-kindergarten classes operate on the same schedule as other classes in the Watauga County Schools and children in the program can receive the same school bus service and meal services as other students. There are no fees for NC Pre-K.
Space in the program is limited and families that apply for a space are encouraged to make alternative child care arrangements in the event their child cannot be enrolled. Parents of children needing full time care will also want to consider that the Watauga County Schools afterschool program does not serve pre-kindergarten children.
There are currently pre-kindergarten classes at five schools in the WCS system: Cove Creek, Green Valley, Hardin Park, Parkway, and Valle Crucis. The participating schools are subject to change based on funding, but the current expectation is that the program will operate at the same sites in 2016-17. Although pre-kindergarten classes are not available in all elementary schools in the WCS district, children living anywhere in Watauga County are eligible for the program. However, parents will need to note that bus service is only available for children attending the school in their attendance area, and that children must attend kindergarten at the school in their attendance area regardless of where they attend pre-kindergarten
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