Preschool

Whitley County
Preschool-Head Start Program

About our program:
Whitley County Preschool - Head Start is a unique program where children are recognized as special individuals with the need to progress at their own rate.  This program is available to all 4-year-old children and to 3-year-old children who have a disability or meet income guidelines.   Funded since 1992 by the Whitley County Board of Education and the Bell-Whitley Community Action Agency, preschool centers are housed at the following locations:

• Boston Elementary
• Oak Grove Elementary
• Pleasant View Elementary
• Whitley County Central Primary
• Whitley County East Elementary
• Whitley County North Elementary

In 2024, the Whitley County School District received a Preschool Quality Partnership (PQP).  With support from this additional funding, our quality preschool centers are quickly evolving into Preschool Centers of Educational Excellence.  Under the guidance of Tonya Faulkner, Preschool Coordinator, and Robin Head, Bell-Whitley CAA Team Coordinator, our preschool centers serve nearly 400 students.

Our program currently offers:

• All day preschool, 5 days a week
• A research based curriculum, Building Language for Literacy (BLL) and Creative Curriculum, aligned with Head Start Standards, Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Early Childhood Standards
• One to ten adult/student ratio per classroom
• Family literacy services
• Multiple assessments to facilitate planning and instruction

Our Program Goals:

• To provide a bright and successful beginning for every preschool-age child
• To foster positive feelings associated with learning
• To keep the focus on the child’s developmental needs: language/literacy, cognitive, adaptive, social-emotional, and motor
• To ensure that the preschool environment is designed to immerse every child in language and literacy based activities throughout the day
• To look at the individual child’s current skill level and plan experiences that motivate, challenge, and promote the students’ ability to be successful at the next developmental level
• To build a foundation and love for learning that will support a lifetime of success

We invite you to enroll your child in the Whitley County Preschool/Head Start Program. It’s simple and easy to do. Contact the Bell-Whitley Community Action Agency at (606) 549-3933 to set up an appointment to register your child.  The agency is located at 799 N. HWY 25W South in Williamsburg, KY.  You can also contact the school that your child will be attending. 

You will need to bring the following items to register your child:

• Certified birth certificate
• Up to date immunization records
• Proof of income (necessary for state/federal program funding)