The Taylor County Board of Education was one of only 18 school districts in the state to receive competitive grant funding from the Kentucky Department of Education and the Office of Special Education and Early Learning. The grant program, called The Early Learning Bus Grant, was developed to support students and families of children preschool through 2nd grade, who experienced the most significant loss of instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

School districts were asked to develop a compelling and sustainable plan that included converting a school bus into a mobile preschool classroom. The mobile classroom will offer learning opportunities after school and during summer months. The community and families served would therein gain awareness of the significance of early childhood education and be provided information on available resources and community support programs.

Taylor County's grant writer, Suzanne Grubesic, and Family Resource Director, Brandy McCubbin, worked on a comprehensive plan addressing community specific need. The program design leverages community partnerships, district in-kind support, and certified instruction from existing preschool instructors.

"We have an incredible early childhood program, but so many children in our community come to kindergarten with zero prior exposure to developmentally appropriate lessons or milestone checks," said McCubbin. "A mobile classroom program will expand access to quality instruction for children while their brains are most receptive to growth and learning. I can't wait to see them have the opportunity to play and interact with instructors, and ultimately begin making positive connections to learning sooner!"

Work to convert a school bus into a mobile classroom will begin this spring, and the community can expect forthcoming communications of regular location stops and schedules starting this summer.