Kent welcomes innovative early learning center
Published 10:50 am Monday, September 15, 2014
For the Reporter
It was a ribbon-cutting ceremony with safety scissors as well as the obligatory giant shears.
Kindergarteners joined Kent School District officials and city dignitaries last Thursday to celebrate the district’s latest investment in the city’s youngest students – the Kent Valley Early Learning Center
Presiding over the grand opening ceremony, Superintendent Edward Lee Vargas emphasized the crucial nature of the new school’s mission.
“Early learning and this investment in our young people are really about building tomorrow today.” Vargas said in front of the newly remodeled school building. “… (It) not only allowed us to lower class sizes in the Kent School District in those early grades but add preschools. We’re now up to 10 preschools in the Kent School District.”
The new center, located across the street from Kent City Hall, will alleviate overcrowding in valley-area elementary schools, address new class size reductions mandated by the Legislature, and expand preschool opportunities. All kindergarten and preschool students from Kent and Neely-O’Brien elementary schools will be bussed a few blocks away from their home school to the new site.
“Early learning is so important for our kids and their future success,” said Kent School Board President Debbie Straus.
Classes started last week at the new school with 175 kindergarteners and 37 preschool students. The center also offers a dual-language program for 40 Spanish-speaking students. Next year, the language program is scheduled for expansion to Kent and Neely-O’Brien.
Over the summer, school district facilities, maintenance and IT departments renovated the school building with new flooring, roofing and advanced technology in the classrooms.
On hand for the grand opening festivities, Mayor Suzette Cooke applauded the latest incarnation of the landmark building outside her office window.
“I think about all the plans we’ve had for this building,” Cooke said. “I can’t imagine a better use. It is the most ideal setting for our leaders of tomorrow to be in a place that has government leaders, education leaders, business leaders and families surrounding it.”
