Oak Ridge Today

Repairs needed, school system considers three options for Preschool

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Oak Ridge Preschool and School Administration Building

The Oak Ridge Board of Education will consider three options for the Oak Ridge Schools Preschool on New York Avenue during a Monday night meeting. The building—which has lead paint that needs to be repaired, replaced, and painted, among other things—has to be renovated or vacated for the Head Start program to receive funding in the 2015-2016 school year.

 

It’s 70 years old and in need of repairs. Federal officials want it renovated or vacated by next year in order for the school system to continue to receive Head Start funding.

So, on Monday, the Oak Ridge Board of Education will consider what to do about the Oak Ridge Preschool, a building on New York Avenue that’s been on the repair wish list for years.

The school board will consider three options:

  • stay in the building and renovate it;
  • move the Preschool and its roughly 200 students to a different site, possibly by leasing space;
  • move the Preschool classes and split them up among the elementary schools.

There is one option that is not on the table, school officials said Thursday.

“We have no intention…of shutting down the Preschool in any form or fashion,” said Chris Marczak, Oak Ridge Schools assistant superintendent. [Read more…]

Anderson County school officials revoke rejection of Oak Ridge Head Start application

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Anderson County Board of Education

Members of the Anderson County Board of Education pictured above are, from left, Steve Fritts and Scott Gillenwaters, Schools Director Larry Foster, Board Chair John Burrell, Vice Chair Greg Crawford, and member Dail Cantrell.

 

CLINTON—Anderson County school officials have revoked a decision that could have resulted in the loss of about $700,000 in funding for the Head Start program in Oak Ridge in the next school year.

The Anderson County Board of Education rejected Oak Ridge’s Head Start application on April 10 over concerns about the falsification of federal data, specifically reports on the motor skills of children.

But since then, officials from Anderson County and Oak Ridge schools have met and hammered out a 10-point plan that could be put into place for the 2014-2015 school year. The agreement would allow Oak Ridge to continue to receive funding for the city’s Head Start program through Anderson County.

The agreement between the two systems, which would have the city and county work together to hire a new preschool principal or director in Oak Ridge, was considered during a brief special meeting of the Anderson County Board of Education in Clinton on Tuesday. The board unanimously agreed to rescind their April 10 rejection and accept Oak Ridge’s proposal. [Read more…]

Anderson schools could rescind rejection of Oak Ridge Head Start application

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Oak Ridge Schools Administration Building

The Oak Ridge School Administration Building, which houses the Head Start and Preschool program, is pictured above.

Note: This story was updated at 4:50 p.m.

They rejected a Head Start application from Oak Ridge a few weeks ago, but Anderson County school officials could rescind it during a special meeting on Tuesday.

Officials from the two school systems have met and developed a 10-point plan that could be put into place for the 2014-2015 school year. The agreement would allow Oak Ridge to continue to receive funding for the city’s Head Start program through Anderson County, said Keys Fillauer, chair of the Oak Ridge Board of Education.

The agreement will be considered by the county school board during Tuesday’s meeting.

On April 10, the Anderson County Board of Education rejected Oak Ridge’s Head Start application over concerns about the falsification of federal data, specifically reports on the motor skills of children. [Read more…]

Anderson Schools rejects Oak Ridge Head Start application over false federal data

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Larry Foster

Larry Foster

Note: This story was last updated at 8:35 p.m.

Anderson County Schools director optimistic that resolution will be reached

By John Huotari and Sara Wise

They had concerns about the alleged falsification of federal documents that contained data on motor skills of children, so Anderson County school officials rejected Oak Ridge’s application for Head Start funding in the 2014-2015 school year.

The decision could affect roughly $700,000 in funding, or enough to cover about 118 students in the Oak Ridge Head Start program, a federal entitlement program for low-income children. Anderson County Schools supervises the local Head Start program.

But Anderson County Schools Director Larry Foster said the county school board’s unanimous April 10 decision could be rescinded based upon collaboration between the two school systems. Representatives of the two systems have already had discussions, and school board chairs are expected to discuss what can be done to resolve funding for next year.

“Hopefully, this can be resolved,” Foster said during a brief break in a Monday morning Anderson County Commission meeting in Clinton. [Read more…]