Prairie early childhood program recognized as ‘lighthouse system’

CEDAR RAPIDS — The College Community School District is one of eight schools in the country recognized as a 2022 “Lighthouse System” for its early learning program by the Schools Superintendents Association.

The district provides child care and 4-year-old preschool at its Early Learning Program in Cedar Rapids. Preschool programs also are offered at Prairie View, Prairie Hill, Prairie Heights and Prairie Ridge elementary schools.

“It is a true honor to be recognized as a Lighthouse district in the area of Early Childhood,“ Superintendent Doug Wheeler said. ”We know the value of early learning to the long-term success of students in and beyond their K-12 school experience. I am very proud of our (early learning program), Director Kathy Schulte, our preschool teachers, support staff, child care staff and community partners. They work tirelessly on behalf of students, and they truly deserve this national recognition.”

To accommodate family’s needs, the district offers before and after school child care services to provide a full day of care within the same building where the child attends preschool. This service is fee based.

Total enrollment in the district’s early childhood program is 482 students, which includes preschool, school-age and day care programming. More than 60 percent of incoming kindergarten students in the College Community School District have participated in preschool.

The district was recognized in the area of “Redesign for Early Learning” and received a special recognition for “Strength in Early Learning Partnerships in Service for Highly Diverse Community.”

The district is part of the School Superintendents Association’s Learning 2025 Network, a group of more than 120 school districts with the shared goal of re-energizing education after the pandemic. The network also advocates for equitable access to public education for all students and develops and supports school leaders.

College Community is the only school district in Iowa that is a part of Learning 2025.

The district is paying $11,000 a year to join the effort. Funds come from the general fund and the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, awarded to address the impact COVID-19 has had on education.

The name — Learning 2025 — comes from a five-year vision for education as schools work through pandemic-related challenges. The goal of the network is to guide leaders as they chart their progress toward a “Lighthouse” designation in one or more areas of growth.

“The work that our ‘Lighthouse’ systems are doing is an example of providing equity-focused and future-driven change to an educational system to better respond to the needs of the students in their respective areas,” said Daniel Domenech, executive director of the School Superintendent’s Association. “As we emerge from the pandemic, it is critical to invoke positive best practices for the well-being, self-sufficiency and success of our young learners. I congratulate these districts, as well as all of the school districts associated with the Learning 2025 Network.”

Applications were evaluated based on strategies and recommendations developed by the commission. Redesign component indicators included:

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com