OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Okeechobee County School District has doubled enrollment in its early learning program following a renovation of Pine View Academy, the district's dedicated early childhood center.
New signage outside the revamped facility marks a fresh start for students beginning their journey with the school district. The district expanded the program's capacity from 100 to 140 students for the coming school year, and enrollment has already doubled from last year.
WATCH BELOW: Expansion doubles school district's early learning enrollment
Benjamin and Shyanne Kielbasa recently enrolled their second daughter in the district's VPK program.
"It looks great. ... Our kids are immediately starting to play, so I think that it's great and the kids will love it," parent Shyanne Kielbasa said.
"I'm glad that the county is putting the resources into making it a fully fledged program," parent Benjamin Kielbasa said.
The couple said they saw firsthand what early learning did for their older daughter.
"I think socially it's going to be a huge thing and then just getting her ready for kindergarten and then just making sure that she's ahead of the game," Shyanne Kielbasa said.
"We saw a lot of the benefits with our older daughter," Benjamin Kielbasa said.
Pine View Academy Principal Britani Stanley said the data makes the urgency clear.
"Research shows that when students enter kindergarten behind their peers, there's only a one in four chance that that child will then catch up to their peers," Stanley said. "With that information, it's really hard not to see the urgency that we need to dedicate and devote our resources to better support children early."
Pine View Academy teacher Laura Cauley echoed that message.
"It's very important at this age to introduce them to the different sounds and letters, and you might not get that at home," Cauley said.
The Education Foundation of Okeechobee has partnered with the district to provide $70,000 worth of scholarships, covering about 23 students. The foundation is targeting families who would otherwise lack access to early learning.
"We are targeting the families who, without this funding, would not be able to have access to early learning," Education Foundation of Okeechobee County CEO Alaina Barron said.
Currently, only 28% of students in Okeechobee are ready for kindergarten due to a lack of access to resources. The foundation and district say closing that gap is now a top priority.
"Having that taken care of does make it where a lot more people would be able to take advantage of it," Shyanne Kielbasa said.
The deadline to apply for the scholarship through the Education Foundation of Okeechobee has been extended until Monday, July 27 at 5 p.m. Click here to apply.
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