We believe that area parents and school officials searching for effective early childhood education ideas could learn a lot from studying a partnership between the Denton school district and Fred Moore Day Nursery School.
The two entities are now partnering to offer a half-day of pre-kindergarten programming via Denton ISD and full-day child care via Fred Moore Day Nursery School for 3- and 4-year-olds.
The partnership is known as Fred Moore at Gonzalez and is housed at one location, Denton ISD’s Gonzalez School for Young Children. Families enrolled in the program can drop off students at the school beginning at 6:30 a.m.
The children are cared for by Fred Moore Day Nursery personnel until school begins at 8 a.m. At that time, half of the children enrolled in the program attend morning pre-kindergarten classes and the other half remain with Fred Moore child care staff.
After lunch, children who attended morning pre-kindergarten classes stay with Fred Moore child care staff and the other students attend afternoon pre-kindergarten classes. When the school day concludes, they are all cared for by Fred Moore child care staff until parents arrive to pick them up by 6 p.m.
Denton ISD Superintendent Jamie Wilson said the program launched Aug. 25 with 38 students. This week, school officials say they anticipate an enrollment of 50 children. Wilson said he hopes the program will one day expand to 100 children.
Officials are testing the waters and exploring new opportunities to provide quality early childhood education, Wilson told us.
Expanding pre-kindergarten programming to more children in the district has been discussed for several years, and this fall, the district looked to launch additional pre-kindergarten programs at four of its elementary schools.
The partnership with Fred Moore Day Nursery is another component in providing pre-kindergarten access to the entire community, Wilson said.
The nonprofit Fred Moore Day Nursery School is the only income-based child care center in the county serving children younger than 2, according to school officials. It allows families to pay tuition on a sliding scale.
Many of those involved tell us the program provides convenience and peace of mind compared to other options available to many working parents and that the Denton ISD connection means that play therapy, and bilingual and English as a Second Language services are available. The children also have an on-site nurse and access to a large play area and a library.
Ultimately, officials told us, the goal is to help children develop the foundational skills necessary to be successful in kindergarten and beyond.
In our view, the Denton ISD’s efforts to provide quality pre-kindergarten programs for a wider segment of the community will not only benefit those enrolled but could ultimately improve the quality of education for all students in the district.
The program helps level the playing field at a critical time in the students’ lives by extending opportunities that might not otherwise be available.
If we want our young people to achieve great things in life, it just makes sense to give them the best start we can.
