NEW HANOVER COUNTY — At College Road Early Childhood Center in Wilmington, three new pre-K classrooms are now in session, serving New Hanover County 3- to 5…
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There are close to forty-four hundred preschool students in licensed programs in New Hanover County, but that represents just 37% of pre-K aged children. The county has been asked to consider universal pre-K, but there are barriers to expanding.
“We’d like to see a universal pre-K plan. One thing that’s loud and clear is that far too many of our children aren’t ready for kindergarten. And the reason is, there’s just not enough slots in the county available.”
While New Hanover County Schools does have a pre-K program, supported by federal, state, and local funding, it serves less than 10 percent of pre-school age children.