Troy City School District outlines pre-K program funded by $2.2 million grant

At a board meeting, a district pre-K presenter described a grant-funded program that the Troy City School District said brings in a little over $2,200,000 each year to operate classrooms across the district.

The presenter said the program currently serves 177 four‑year‑olds and 84 three‑year‑olds districtwide. School 12 houses 11 pre‑K classrooms — nine for four‑year‑olds and two for three‑year‑olds — and currently enrolls 162 students, the presenter said. The district works with community partners including Sacred Heart and Head Start and provides supports such as an assistant director (Burko), a full‑time social worker, a family advocate, a behavior specialist and weekly music therapy.

The presentation described a classroom structure built around a 60‑minute uninterrupted “center time” where children choose among learning centers (blocks, dramatic play, a math center, science and literacy) and frequent small‑group instruction led by a teacher and a teacher assistant. The presenter emphasized play as a method of learning, saying: "When I'm building in the block room, please don't say I'm just playing. For you see, I'm learning as I play." The district also uses the GOLD online assessment three times a year, conducts summer screenings for early identification, and contracts classroom‑environment reviews with an outside agency (Bright Side Up) that observes classrooms twice yearly.

The presenter highlighted efforts to ease the pre‑K to kindergarten transition: registration has been streamlined so families who indicate they will attend Troy can be rolled from pre‑K into kindergarten without a second registration, and summer transition meetings allow instructional coaches and kindergarten teams to share student information. The presenter said 67% of the current kindergarten cohort attended one of the district’s pre‑K classrooms last year.

Board members thanked staff and maintenance teams for renovations and new playground structures at School 12. The presenter invited board members and the public to visit classrooms and noted that nutrition (breakfast and lunch) is served in classrooms as instructional time. The presentation ended with photos and brief Q&A.