Fayette County Public Schools unveils “Classroom on Wheels”

The district says it's a way to continue to help pre-schoolers get prepared for kindergarten.

LEXINGTON, Ky (WTVQ) – Fayette County Schools unveiled its first “Classroom on Wheels” pre-school bus Monday morning.

The district says it’s a way to continue to help pre-schoolers get prepared for kindergarten.

“Really and truly, we’re taking that experience, putting it on the bus, and our staff will be read, talking, and playing with families all over our community,” said FCPS Director of Early Childhood Education Dr. Whitney Stevenson.

It’s part of the district’s Early Childhood Community Learning Plan, and the bus is packed with hands-on learning resources to encourage pre-school aged kids to read, talk, and play.

“Eventually, the programming will get bigger and we’ll eventually get to serving babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers. So it’s not just going to be a pre-school experience for children,” said Dr. Stevenson.

The initiative comes after the district announced its lowest kindergarten readiness scores since they were first tracked during the 2013-2014 school year, meaning less than half of all pre-schoolers screened showed readiness for the next level.

The district’s goal? For 100 percent of students to be prepared for kindergarten on day one by 2027.

“We know our incoming students need and deserve stronger and more prepared starts for their academic careers and our goal is not only bold but it’s necessary,” said FCPS Superintendent Demetrus Liggins.

The district is hoping the hands-on mobile pre-school, which teaches social-emotional skills, cognitive, adaptive, and fine-motor skills, will be the answer.

“To have the chance to support so many families with this initiative…is such a huge thing,” said Dr. Stevenson.

This is the first of two pre-school buses the district is planning to put on the road.