Preschool Program Needed Here, Say Island Mothers
Island Has 17 Children Uder Age Three
By Leslie Rott

"I'm an active mom and I feel like I still need a lot of help," said Urvana Morse, mother of two, during a meeting when a group of concerned mothers met Tuesday, May 16, with representatives from Head Start and the Chippewa-Luce-Mackinac Community Action Agency to discuss the possibility of having a preschool program on the Island in the fall.

The issues being considered for a preschool program on the Island is a requirement that it be licensed by the state and that there may not be enough children to enroll in the program.

"There really needs to be enough children to make the program worthwhile," said Reenie Butler, Head Start director at the Community Action Agency. Lack of enrollment, she noted, is what has halted a preschool program in the past.

There was no preschool program this year, although there was last year. Programs prior to that have been spotty and Mrs. Morse said there needs to be consistency.

"It's not right for one child to have preschool and the next not to," she said.

This fall, there will be four four-year-olds and eight three-year-olds available for a preschool program, and there are 17 children under the age of three currently living on the Island.

Another issue is finding space at Mackinac Island Public School to hold a preschool program, and school board member Leanne Brodeur said she will try to promote the program once a new superintendent is hired this summer.

Having a preschool, Mrs. Morse said, would ensure that no student starts kindergarten at a disadvantage. She feels that any student lagging behind could really affect an entire class, since class size at Mackinac Island Public School is small to begin with.

Ms. Butler suggested that the preschool be part of the Michigan School Readiness Program, rather than Head Start, because of the possibility of funding from both Community Action and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

Head Start is funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, whereas the Michigan School Readiness program is funded through the Michigan Department of Education.

Assistance from the Mackinac Island Community Foundation was applied for, but not received because there is currently no license to operate a preschool here.