Five Manatee Schools Offer Free VPK

BRADENTON -- Five Manatee District elementary schools will offer free Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten programs this summer from Tuesday, June 14, 2011 to Friday, August 12, 2011. The five district schools that will offer the free Summer VPK are Bashaw Elementary, Daughtrey Elementary, Moody Elementary, Palmetto Elementary and Rogers Garden Elementary.

The summer VPK program is for all children who were four-years old by September 1, 2010 who are residents of Florida and who were not enrolled in VPK during the 2010-2011 school year. Daily hours for summer VPK are Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and breakfast and lunch are included at no cost. Parents interested in enrolling their child in the summer VPK program can do so beginning April 11th at the Parent Information Center. 

To enroll students in the summer VPK program, parents need to follow the two steps below:

1.Go to the Early Learning Coalition located at 3526 9th St. W. You will be given a Summer VPK Certificate of Eligibility (COE). You will need your child’s birth certificate and current proof of Florida residency to obtain a COE.  For additional information call 757-2900 ext.102.

2.After receiving your Certificate of Eligibility, take it and your child’s Birth Certificate, a Certificate of Immunization and a Physical Examination Certificate to the Manatee District’s Parent Information Center, located at 234 Manatee Ave. E., and complete a registration packet. You will receive a Notice of Confirmation after completing the registration packet and submitting it to the Parent Information Center. The Parent Information Center phone number is 708-4971.

To learn more about the School District of Manatee County’s summer VPK program, please contact Vielka Beall at 708-8770 ext. 2076.