BY STEVEN STIEFEL FOR THE OBSERVER
LEE COUNTY — Lee County Schools Superintendent Mike Howard is encouraging parents to apply for a spot to enroll their four-year-olds in upcoming Pre-K programs at county schools because the more the state approves, the less of an impact this is likely to have on the number of approved teaching units. He plans to transfer existing certified teachers to these roles to avoid layoffs.
The Alabama First Class Pre-K program is open to all children in Alabama who turn four by September 1 of the school year. Research on the program shows that children who attend Pre-K are more likely to succeed throughout their school careers compared to those who do not participate. Applications are typically accepted online through the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education website.
The program currently serves over 24,000 children and has received the highest quality rating from the National Institute for Early Education Research for 18 consecutive years.
Enrollment is determined through a random selection lottery. Applications for First Class Pre-K are usually accepted online, and by April 18, parents will be notified via email about the results of the random selection process for each site. Those selected for available seats will be offered positions, with parents required to accept or decline. Children who are not selected will be placed on a waiting list.
Howard said instructional spaces are being reconfigured across the district to meet increasing demand. For example, all sixth-grade students from Smiths Station will move to junior high, and fifth-grade students at Beauregard will return to elementary school. Howard expects the changes will make room for four or five additional Pre-K classrooms at each site.
“Last year, many families were waitlisted for Pre-K. This year, Smiths Station will go from five Pre-K classrooms to about 20, helping reduce the waitlist there and at Beulah,” Howard said. “This will help communities that have fewer Pre-K options, like small private or church-run programs. It will allow us to identify any learning needs early and help children adjust to the school environment. This is a game changer for Lee County.”
Howard also hopes the reorganization may prevent teacher layoffs by redistributing resources where needed. The Pre-K programs are designed to have a balance of participants, and the expanded Pre-K offerings facilitate the creation of new teaching positions.
“Our special needs Pre-K classes have 22 slots with 11 special needs students. With 30 Pre-K classrooms, that will open up 30 teacher positions and 30 auxiliary positions, helping us employ more staff and retain teachers,” Howard said.
Due to declining student population, the district is losing 15 teacher positions countywide. Howard plans to reassign certified Pre-K teachers to other roles to avoid layoffs.
“If we lose units at the elementary level, we won’t cut teachers. Instead, we’ll try to reassign qualified Pre-K teachers to those spots, ensuring no disruption in staffing,” Howard said.
Parents interested in applying for Pre-K lotteries can pre-register at the website: prek.alaceed.alabama.gov.
