MECK Pre-K will reopen this year, with some changes because of COVID-19

MECK Pre-K will reopen for the 2020-21 school year with only in-person instruction, according to a press release from Smart Start of Mecklenburg County, the nonprofit that administers the program. The program’s income restrictions have also been lifted for this school year.

Created in 2018 and funded by the county, MECK Pre-K is a voluntary program that provides free early childhood care and education for eligible 4-year-olds. MECK Pre-K classes are in childcare centers across Mecklenburg.

MECK Pre-K will be reopening at half capacity, with teachers beginning work on Aug. 17 and a staggered re-entry for students starting Sept. 1, to minimize the risk of COVID-19.

The decision to reopen was made after surveys of site directors, teachers and families, according to MECK Pre-K Director Trinisha Dean.

“So, that was taken into consideration in getting feedback from them pertaining to their preference for in-person versus virtual,” Dean said.

As of Tuesday, data from the state Department of Health and Human Services shows that one childcare facility in Mecklenburg, Kindercare Providence, has an ongoing coronavirus cluster with two staff and seven children infected. The Heaven’s Angels Childcare Facility previously had a COVID-19 outbreak with a total of 14 cases, three in staff and 11 in children.

According to Dean, the MECK Pre-K leadership team, which includes County Manager Dena Diorio and Smart Start of Mecklenburg CEO Jake House, met with local health officials prior to deciding to reopen. MECK Pre-K leadership will continue consulting state and local DHHS, and will host sessions for providers and teachers to ask questions of Mecklenburg health officials.

Some changes to MECK Pre-K sites to prevent the spread of coronavirus include reducing classroom size for social distancing, enhanced cleaning protocol and illness monitoring.

“We’re asking families that when they’re dropping off, because it’s mandated, that they need to have their mask on,” Dean said. “But it’s essentially Fort Knox at our childcare centers.”

As of now, MECK Pre-K will not be offering virtual or hybrid learning options.

“We know that 4-year-olds learn best in person,” Dean said. “Offering virtual instruction for six and a half hours a day is not realistic. We know that there are technology concerns with families maybe not having internet or having devices for children, or families with multiple children having to share devices.”

In its guidelines for school re-entry, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that the “policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.”

The news release from MECK Pre-K stated that from the surveys of families, teachers and providers, “Across all groups, the majority of respondents expressed a desire for children to return to the classroom even in light of the ongoing public health situation.”

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Harden expressed concern about the MECK Pre-K reopening, citing the perspectives of teachers. Hundreds of people signed earlier petitions for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to choose remote-learning.

According to the latest available data from local health officials, 8.9% of people tested were positive for COVID-19. Harden said that with this infection rate in the county, safety protocols would not be enough to prevent coronavirus spread in facilities.

“Those things will not prevent the infection. It may offset or it may work against it, but the infection is everywhere.”

Though the program will run differently due to the pandemic, Harden said programs like MECK Pre-K are a good educational investment.

“We’ve had it as a goal for a long time,” Harden said. “And we continue to work to expand access to Pre-K education in our community.”

The model of MECK Pre-K, which aims to provide universal Pre-K to all 4-year-olds in Mecklenburg County, parallels other Pre-K programs across the country, including in Florida and Georgia.

MECK Pre-K will host informational webinars for families about reopening and enrollment on Aug. 13, at 6:30 p.m. in English and 7:30 p.m. in Spanish. More information can be found on the MECK Pre-K website.