District's pre-K growing

While the Watertown City School District has dealt with decreasing enrollment districtwide, one program has been given a boost.

The district has gone from contracting universal prekindergarten services with just the Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County two years ago to contracting with five agencies today.

"Last year, we were encouraged by the state to expand," said Elizabeth F. Stever, principal of Ohio Elementary School. "They're trying to reach every 4-year-old."

Other agencies with pre-K service contracts with the district are Benchmark Family Services, Jefferson Rehabilitation Center, New Day Children's Center and Faith Fellowship.

When the pre-K program expanded last year, Mrs. Stever said, enrollment increased 40 percent, but that's not as much as the district would have liked.

In fact, the CAPC pre-K program has seen a decrease in numbers in the past two years. The council has taken a huge dip in enrollment, going from 100 slots two years ago to only 36 as of this week.

Marie E. Ambrose, Head Start prekindergarten director at the council, said much of the decreased enrollment in the pre-K programs it hosts has been caused by privatization of off-post military housing.

"It's been consistently declining," Mrs. Ambrose said.

With more local military families moving from off-post housing onto Fort Drum, fewer 4-year-olds live within the school district's limits.

Another reason there may not be as many youngsters enrolled in the CAPC program could be a shuffling of locations. A morning pre-K program this year at Sacred Heart is moving back to Starbuck Elementary, Mrs. Ambrose said. The class was moved last year while Starbuck had work done.

The pre-K program will keep soliciting students for next year until it is full. Mrs. Stever said there are only 22 slots left to fill. For more information, call Patricia Davis at 785-3755.