Why a new Fayette County preschool center with special education hub is in the works

The Fayette County school board has decided the district needs to build or acquire a new preschool center and special education hub on Lexington’s north side, according to board documents from its February planning meeting.

The board is reconvening a committee to address the proposed new preschool center.

That allows the district to get access to restricted funds, complete the project faster, and have optimal learning conditions, documents from the February 12 meeting said.

Whitney Stevenson, district director of pre-school, said in a statement to the Herald-Leader that the current preschool center on the south side of Lexington on Springhill Drive has three classrooms and serves as a hub for families with children who are being screened for special education services.

Because all families have to go to the Springhill Drive location for screening, evaluation and testing, the school district wanted to provide a location on the north side of town to better serve families around Lexington, Stevenson said.

The Springhill Drive preschool center is the centralized location for all developmental screenings and special education admission & release committee meetings for children initially entering the countywide program, according to the district website. There are about 1,000 of those meetings a year, Stevenson said.

Approximately 1,100 preschool students are enrolled in Fayette County.

Besides the Springhill Drive center near Lafayette High School, other current Fayette preschool locations include the Family Care Center, the UK Early Childhood Lab, and more than 20 Fayette elementary schools, according to the district website.

This story was originally published February 27, 2024 at 11:11 AM.