MERCEDES — More than 800 kindergarten and pre-K students transferred from the district’s early childhood school to their neighborhood campus.
The students have moved to either Hinojosa, North, Kennedy, Travis or Taylor elementary schools.
Last year was the final year the Mercedes Early Childhood campus was used for instructional purposes for the youngest students in the district.
“The day has arrived where we will now service pre-K to fifth grade in every elementary,” Superintendent Daniel Trevino said. “And we did it for several reasons.”
He said the main reason for the move was student instruction and academics.
He said the transition from one building to another influences the student tremendously. By keeping the student in one campus from pre-K all the way to fifth grade makes a huge difference in the student’s performance.
He said the second reason for transitioning from the early childhood school was the age of the building.
“I went to school at that campus so it’s a very mature building,” Trevino said.
Trevino said that campus could not continue to serve the students, and moving the students into different attendance zones would also help make bus routes more effective and parents will not have to go to two different campuses anymore.
“Early childhood school serviced the whole district and now the students are within the attendance area of their nearest elementary campus,” Trevino said.
He said there will be some kinks that will have to be ironed out, but in the long run all of our parents and students are going to see the difference as they progress through their elementary years.
Trevino said cosmetology instruction will continue at the campus. A culinary arts class will be established because of the kitchen and cooling system for food storage on campus.
He said the building will also be used for many of the central office departments. Curriculum, special education, the business office and administration office will be more effectively centralized.
“The organization can be managed a little better,” Trevino said. “Our facility studies show that the campus is better equipped to offer space for older student instruction and office space.”
