DECATUR – With plans to build a “sense of community,” Decatur City Schools will open the doors of B.E.S.T. Pre-K Academy next week.
And, in a change from the past, all of the city’s pre-kindergarteners will be at the new facility.
Before this year, pre-K students were spread among elementary schools across the city.
“(This) is excellent because they can collaborate, they can plan together so students can be successful, use the same academic vocabulary, and then we can just build a sense of community and build a culture and climate here in one building,” said Jennifer Edwards, principal of the school. “… It helps students be able to self-regulate, also just to get accustomed to routines and procedures in a school environment.”
Decatur City Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Douglas was joined by school and elected officials at a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week.
He said the new school with 300 students will free up space in other elementary schools because they will no longer have pre-K students.
And, to school system officials, the acronym B.E.S.T. (Building Exceptional Students for Tomorrow) is more than a name. It’s a commitment.
“The project shows a shared commitment to providing students with the best possible learning environment,” said Decatur City School Board President Michele Gray King. “The B.E.S.T. Pre-K Academy will be a space for students to thrive and discover their potential.
“It will offer new opportunities for our early learners for years to come.”
Edwards, who spent seven years as the principal of West Decatur Elementary School, said she is eager to see how her teachers and staff can be successful, as well as her students as they develop and get ready for kindergarten.
“I’m looking very forward to building relationships with my new facilities and staff,” she said. “I believe culture and climate and a happy place is the best environment to work in.”
To help create the “happy place,” the hallways are painted with bright colors and designs.
Kathryn Joiner, a 2016 graduate of Austin High School and the interior designer for the facility, said her 9-month-old son inspired her use of shapes and bright colors.
State Rep. Parker Moore, who was at the ribbon-cutting, said he sees the value in early learning education, noting that he has two young children.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our community here, and I look forward to seeing the results and the future we build together through this facility,” he said.
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