- June 24, 2026
With te expansion and focus on its Voluntary Prekindergarten program, Flagler Schools wants put certified teachers in the VPK classrooms. It plans to begin that initiative in the upcoming school year by placing two VPK teachers in each of its three Title I elementary schools — Bunnell, Rymfire and Wadsworth.
Currently, facilitators who have certifications in child development, are leading the VPK classes. Usually there are two facilitators per classroom, Dr. Angela O’Brien, the district’s assistant superintendent, said. The VPK classrooms are capped at 20 students and the ratio that the district uses is one facilitator per 11 students, she said.
Superintendent LaShakia Moore said ultimately they would like to have one certified teacher and one facilitator in each VPK class. For now, Flagler Schools will be using federal Title I funds to pay for the initial six teachers.
The School Board unanimously approved the phasing in of the certified teachers at its board meeting on June 23.
The district has been focusing on early learning and kindergarten readiness. In a February board workshop presentation, district staff reported that kindergarten readiness had dropped to 37%. The Flagler County Education Foundation is organizing two “Launch to Learning” events to provide VPK options and registration assistance for parents. The sessions will be July 11 at the Carver Center and July 18 at Hidden Trails Community Center, both at 10 a.m. to noon.
““As we grow, maybe not every class will have a certified teacher,” Moore said. “But through attrition and through the review of data, that's what we will use to determine where they are. It’s our desire to have a certified teacher in all of the classes, and we will continue to work with the board in order to identify ways that we can make that happen.”
The certified teachers would fall under a different bargaining unit than the facilitators, Moore and O’Brien said. While the facilitators are under the support bargaining unit, the certified teachers will be under the instructional bargaining unit.
“The certified VPK position, I think, will make a huge difference with our young learners,” board member Lauren Ramirez said.
