Application process for South Rome Early Learning Center continues

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The South Rome Early Learning Center won’t be a head start, it will be a jump start, according to one of the organizers.

Jacqueline McDowell, dean of the Charter School of Education and Human Sciences and professor of education at Berry College, has been a key part in the development of the center to be housed at the new Anna K. Davie Elementary School .

Now that the school is about to be handed over to Rome City Schools and is set to open in August at the start of the new school year, McDowell has started taking applications.

“We started enrollment March 1,” she said. “There is room for 20 3-year-olds in the first classroom. If we have more demand, we plan to open another class in December.”

The applications are available by emailing srlec@berry.edu or by calling 706-236-2247. First preference will be given to children in the Anna K. Davie enrollment area, but they do plan to open spots to other enrollment areas in Rome City Schools if there are spaces available after June 1, said McDowell.

“Michael Buck, Rome’s superintendent, doesn’t want any empty seats,” said McDowell. “We are very, very excited about that. We are starting slow with just one classroom and will grow as we can. Our ultimate goal is to have three classrooms with 60 children, total.”

As soon as the school building is made available, which is expected to be sometime in mid-April, McDowell and the staff for the early learning center will begin moving furniture in and decorating, she said.

“We also plan to have open houses in April, May and June,” said McDowell. “We want to introduce the community to the school and hopefully inspire interest.”

Each class will be staffed by a full-time teacher, a full-time teacher’s assistant and college-student assistants.

A lead teacher, Allyson Chambers, has already been hired for the first class. Ann Tankersley, director of Berry College’s Child Development Center, will serve as director at the South Rome center as well. Kirsten Lund will serve as an office manager and community liaison, McDowell said. They are still searching for an assistant teacher.

“We are interviewing as we speak,” McDowell said. “We will hire another lead teacher and assistant teacher when we add another room.”

Financial support is available for families, she said.

“Tuition is based on the family’s ability to pay and includes breakfast, lunch and snacks,” she said. “Some scholarships are available based on family size and income.”

A baseline for tuition has not been established.

“We want to keep it as low and as within reason as possible,” said McDowell. “We are a not-for-profit, but we felt it is important that some contribution from the families was made. We will work with all of the families to make sure they only pay what they can afford.”

McDowell said she feels that the benefits of the early learning center will be huge for the school system and the community.

“It is probably the most unique education reform initiative I’ve ever been involved with,” she said. “This partnership between a private college, a public school and a community organization is unheard of.” The South Rome Redevelopment Corporation is also a partner in the project.

The new Anna K. Davie Elementary at the corner of South Broad and East Main streets is being built with $11 million in education local option sales tax project, is set to open in August 2015.

Source: Rome News

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