BO TOTH “I’ve had parents tell me”
BUT TOTH IS TOLD, ‘YOU CAN’T REALLY SAY THAT’
A member of the Nottoway Board of Supervisors says that some parents are using Pre-K for “child care.”
District 4 rep Bo Toth offered that assessment during a March 2nd joint meeting between Supervisors and the School Board.
“I know when my dad went to public school, they didn’t even have kindergarten. He started first grade. And I’m all for Pre K, I really am.”
But Toth said it’s concerning and heartbreaking that “a child comes to school and doesn’t know how to hold a pencil at four-years-old and is not being read to.” Toth said such facts don’t speak well of local families. “Furthermore, doesn’t it suggest that maybe a certain percentage of these children are using Pre-K for child care rather than school?”
“I would disagree with that,” replied Division Supt. Dr. Marcia Martin. “I would say that it helps our children become ready.”
Toth said that if a four-yearold child doesn’t know how to properly hold a pencil, “That tells me about the parent a little bit.”
“You can’t make assumptions on why a child is going to school,” said District 5 School Board member Michele Duncan.
Toth said he’s not simply making an assumption. “I’ve had parents come to me and say that without Pre-K, they would not be able to afford childcare. So that tells me they are using it for childcare, to a degree.”
“You can’t really say that,” said District 4 School Board member Charles Wilson.
Toth said the program isn’t offered to all children. The division currently offers 80 Pre-K slots — 40 at Blackstone Primary and 40 at Crewe Primary. Eligibility criteria includes income levels of parents as well as parents’ educational backgrounds.
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