TAMPA, Fla. — A Hillsborough County daycare is providing a private school alternative for families who are worried about the pandemic.
Smart Start Pre-Prep already offers a program for Volunteer Pre-K. Now, the childcare center will begin offering school for kindergarteners and first graders.
What You Need To Know
- Smart Start Pre-Prep in Tampa offering private K and 1st grade
- Owner Pamela Mace said there’s a need
- Daycare providing alternate for brick-and-mortar schools
- Smart Start Pre-Prep
Smart Start Owner Pamela Mace said there’s a need for it.
“We had a lot of parents who were so anxious about sending their kids to the brick and mortar schools,” said Mace.
The private school option will cost families $215 a week.
Mace said their teachers have education degrees and will follow the regular school schedule, while adhering to the Hillsborough County Public School’s curriculum. The teachers will also work with smaller classes, between 10-15 students.
“The kindergarten and first graders are going to be in their own room and no other children from the center will be in those rooms,” Mace said.
The option is welcomed news for parent Kari Carruolo. Her daughter, Avery, will go to first grade at Smart Start at the end of the month.
“For us, knowing that these small groups existed and that it was the same people she’d interact with all day with limited interaction with other people made us feel more secure,” Carruolo said.
The new private school offering will also help the child care center. Smart Start Pre-Prep was hurt financially from the pandemic.
“We had to shut down for six weeks,” Mace said.
As they prepare for the first day of class on August 24, the owner hopes this will bring in much-needed revenue while making parents feel at ease.
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