Pre-kindergarten applications for the 2009-10 school year are now available.

You may pick up an application from any of the schools, the Effingham County Board of Education Office (and on the Board’s Web site at www.effinghamschools.schoolwires.com), Effingham County Health Department or from the Department of Family and Children Services in Springfield.

Your child must be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1 to be eligible for the pre-k program as required by the Bright from the Start: Department of Early Care and Learning.

There are 24 Pre-K classes that are located at the following four different locations in the county:

The Central Learning Center (CLC) at 434 Wallace Dr. in Springfield (formerly the Springfield Central Elementary School), houses 10 classes: two Ebenezer classes, four Guyton classes, two Rincon classes, and two Springfield Elementary classes;

Marlow Learning Center (MLC) at 4752 Highway 17 South, Guyton (the “old” Marlow Elementary School) houses 12 classes: two South Effingham Elementary classes, four Marlow classes, three Sand Hill classes, and three Blandford classes on their campus;

Effingham County High School has one Springfield Elementary class; and

South Effingham High School houses one class from South Effingham Elementary School.

Applicants will have from Feb. 1-28 to complete the application process. Upon completion of the application process, a lottery style drawing will be held in the auditorium at the Effingham County Board of Education, 405 North Ash St., Springfield, on March 5. (All applications received after March 5 will be placed on a class roster if there are available slots, or they will be assigned to a waiting list on a “first-come, first-serve” basis.)

The pre-k administrators will direct the drawing of names for the 4-year-old state lottery funded pre-kindergarten program on March 5 at the Effingham County Board of Education for each elementary school district (if necessary) according to the following times:
12:30 p.m.--Ebenezer
12:45 p.m.--Blandford
1 p.m.--South Effingham
1:15 p.m.--Marlow
1:30 p.m.--Guyton
1:45 p.m.--Rincon
2 p.m.--Sand Hill
2:15 p.m.--Springfield

Your attendance is not required at the drawing. However, you may attend or you may call the school site your child will be attending (Central Learning Center —754-6417/Marlow Learning Center — 728-9080) or the board office (754-6491 or 754-5628) after 3:15 p.m. to find out if your child has been selected.

If your child’s name is drawn, you will be formally notified by mail during the month of March.

Please remember, you may only submit one application (per child) for the school district in which you live. You will risk losing your placement if you submit more than one application.