Davenport Schools greenlight major expansion of preschool, special education pathways

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - The Davenport Community School Board voted unanimously Monday night to approve a plan that will expand preschool access and redesign special education pathways across the district.

The plan is said to advance the second phase of its long-range facilities strategy.

The plan focuses on two areas district leaders say have some of the biggest impacts on student success: early childhood education, and the “Continuum of Care” system that supports students with behavioral, intellectual and developmental needs.

Davenport currently serves about 500 four-year-olds in preschool, but kindergarten enrollment each year is nearly twice that size.

Superintendent T.J. Schneckloth said that gap means many children start school without foundational early learning skills and often have to make up ground through first grade.

“Statistically our students that don’t have a preschool experience are behind in their phonemic awareness, their phonics instruction, and their numeracy,” said Schneckloth. “And so a student that comes in without those skills has to make double the time in kindergarten and 1st grade. And so the impact on our students is great.”

District data shows that students who attend a high-quality preschool program often close early learning gaps by second grade.

The approved plan will expand preschool capacity from 500 to 700 seats and create consistent regional pathways for families in the North, East, Central and West parts of the district.

The new structure uses a hybrid model, combining four regional preschool centers with school-based preschool classrooms.

As part of the changes, Children’s Village Hoover will relocate to JB Young, and new Children’s Village facilities will be built at Eisenhower and Harrison elementary schools.

District officials say consolidating preschool sites will also reduce overhead and improve access to services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy — resources that are harder to staff in single-classroom locations.

District leaders say the changes are aimed at making preschool access more predictable and equitable — something they’ve been working toward for more than a decade.

“This is a number one need for our community. A lot of people choose the community that they live in by the childcare that they can receive and the preschools that they receive. Preschool is the first touch point for many families into school. We’re trying to provide as many opportunities for that, as many pathways ways as possible so that our families can enter our school district on a positive note and head of the game,” said Schneckloth.

With the plan now approved, the district will begin design work, cost analysis and identifying specific buildings for expanded programming.

The district expects the preschool expansion and related facility changes to be implemented over the next two to three years.

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