THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 13, 1996 TAG: 9602130242
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
On a routine day of classes Monday, eager-faced preschoolers at Seatack Elementary School sang songs, played with colorful plastic toys, learned how to navigate a computer game and practiced spelling their names.
The 32 youngsters, housed in two adjoining classrooms in a gray portable unit, are among 277 in Virginia Beach participating in a new initiative called Early Discoveries.
The statewide program is designed to give needy 4-year-olds a solid grounding in the social skills and knowledge they'll need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. They are considered ``at risk'' because of a variety of economic or social stresses on them and their families.
``Everything we do we help them develop a skill, but in a fun way,'' said Annmarie Alexander, an assistant teacher in the program, which in Virginia Beach is run for the schools by the YMCA. Alexander, for example, helped three youngsters on Monday sort plastic dinosaurs, farm animals and vehicles by color and place them on color-coded trays.
``It gives them a great feeling of self-esteem and is a positive start for them,'' Alexander said.
In South Hampton Roads, about 800 children participate in the program, launched in Virginia schools last fall with a $10.3 million cash pool offered to localities by the General Assembly.
There's already a waiting list of 80 kids in Virginia Beach for next fall, a month before registration opens, officials said.
``I think the demographics of the city have changed,'' said Linda Lloyd-Zannini, director of children services for the Virginia Beach YMCA.
``We're not just affluent, middle-class citizens.''
Only kids who are not served by other public preschool programs, such as classes provided by federal Head Start money, can participate. But there's a catch: To get the money, school officials must match it with local dollars. This year, Virginia Beach put up $512,000 to get $985,433.
Now, local school officials are scrambling to find money to match additional funds that the General Assembly is expected to offer for the next school year.
Money is not the only problem. In Chesapeake, officials rejected $431,712 to start the program this year because the only way to create classroom space was to add more portable units, which have become a political liability in the fast-growing city.
In his 1996-98 budget, Gov. George F. Allen proposes a $27.2 million funding increase, which would double the amount available to Virginia Beach and other local school districts.
The beach district, facing a host of spending cuts to balance its budget this year, would have to find another half-million to get full funding.
``I really pushed for it, because I know that early prevention is the key to the success of some of our children who are at risk,'' said beach School Board member Tim Jackson, who visited Seatack Elementary Monday to advocate expanding the program.
``Something that positive in the midst of all our crises is nice to have.''
The School Board has to approve a budget before July 1, and it could be several months before members know whether local money will be available.
In Norfolk, which this year received the most state funding at $1.1 million, 304 children attend the program.
The district would have to contribute more than $1 million to get all of the money expected.
``It's going to be a challenge to match those funds,'' said Norfolk School Board Chairman Ulysses Turner, who said there's also a need to give teachers ``a decent raise.'' Allen does not include money for teacher salary increases next year.
Turner said research shows that low-income kids who don't attend preschool typically lag two years behind middle-class kids in their educational development when they enter kindergarten.
``We firmly believe that early childhood education is the long-term panacea to the dropout rate, to lower achievement rates and to daily attendance,'' Turner said.
``Laying a foundation early is important because we can build on that.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/The Virginian-Pilot
Early Discoveries volunteer Candy Gregory works Monday with
Kee-Vonda Stief, 5, left, and LaVenda Marshall, 4.
Photo
D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/The Virginian-Pilot
Miranda Forsythe, 4, watches Monday as a classmate works with a
computer program called ``Putt-Putt Joins the Parade'' at Virginia
Beach's Seatack Elementary School. Miranda is one of 277 Beach
preschoolers in the Early Discoveries program.
by CNB