Local News: Grant helps Sikeston R-6 preschool add a classroom (12/25/24)

SIKESTON — The Sikeston Kindergarten and Early Childhood Center has expanded its educational offerings by adding another preschool classroom to meet the growing demand for early childhood education in the area.

Jenny Hobeck, principal of the Sikeston Kindergarten and Early Childhood Center, said the preschool room was added in September, giving them a total of six preschool classrooms.

Hobeck also mentioned they have two early childhood special education classrooms.

“But we have always had those,” Hobeck said.”But as far as regular preschool rooms, we did have five and now we have six.”

According to Hobeck, there was a need for another preschool classroom, and Dr. Kimberley Blissett, assistant superintendent of elementary and special services, assisted in obtaining a grant to expand the preschool.

“With the grant, we were able to change our intervention room that was in the room,” Hobeck said. “Abygail Moates, who was doing the intervention room, showed interest in doing preschool because she has an early childhood education background.”

Hobeck said the grant was through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, or DESE.

“It was definitely a need to add another preschool room,” Hobeck said. “Our district and our school board have always talked about the need for another preschool room. We had been wanting to add additional early childhood rooms and expand preschool. So when that opportunity came, we jumped on it.”

Hobeck explained they filled the classroom with children who were on the preschool waiting list but had not yet been admitted.

“We just went down that waiting list and filled up the class room,” Hobeck said. 

According to Hobeck, they added 16 children total to the classroom and the the other preschool classrooms have 18 children in each.

Hobeck said with the classroom still in its early stages, she opted to accommodate 16 students. 

“With this new classroom, we were also able to work with some special needs students in the room, too.

Hobeck continued:  “For those with special needs, we’re able to integrate into that classroom as well. They have an Individual Education Program, or IEP, plan but they also need to be around regular peers and integrate so they were able to get into Abygail Moates classroom also.”

Hobeck said Moates has been at Sikeston for about four or five years now.

“We are very excited to have this new preschool room,” Hobeck said. “And the parents were very excited as well.”