Hempfield Area to open pre-K classroom in elementary school

A pre-kindergarten classroom is scheduled to open at a Hempfield Area elementary school next week, the first of its kind for the district.

The classroom will open Sept. 23 at West Hempfield Elementary School, said Kimberlie Rieffannacht, assistant superintendent of elementary education. School board members during this week’s workshop meeting approved the establishment of the classroom. Board member Sonya Brajdic was absent from the meeting.

The program, following state guidelines and programming, will help prepare children for reading and math, as well as teach them about paying attention, following directions and getting along with others, according to the state’s education department. The classroom will be overseen by the district and will follow the district calendar and daily schedule.

So far, it has been met with “positive support,” Rieffannacht said.

The program was made possible after the district received a $175,000 Pre-K Counts Expansion grant from the state’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning. The grant, which was approved in August for the 2021-22 school year, requires renewal each year to cover the cost of the program.

In all, the grant money covers the operational cost for 20 children to attend for a full day.

The program is open to children who are 3 to 4 years old. Acceptance into the program will be income-based.

Those interested in applying to Hempfield’s program do not need to live within West Hempfield elementary boundaries for a child to attend. Applications can be submitted on the district’s website, hasdpa.net, by going to academics and then Pre-K Counts.

Rieffannacht said district leaders currently are accepting applications and continue to process enrollments as they are received.