A ceremony was held recently for the new Bulldog Early Learning Academy in Harrisburg. | Facebook/Senator Fowler
A ceremony was held recently for the new Bulldog Early Learning Academy in Harrisburg. | Facebook/Senator Fowler
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held recently for a new private-public school in Harrisburg called the Bulldog Early Learning Academy.
“This new facility will help Harrisburg continue to provide top notch early childhood education for generations to come,” Fowler said on Facebook. “Last June I said I couldn't wait for the day that the doors open and we have the ribbon cutting for this project.”
The 15,000-square-foot building will ensure early learning in the Harrisburg School District.
“The impact … will be felt for generations to come, and that's the exciting piece. It's not every day you get to make that statement," said Eric Witges, West Side School principal who will become unit superintendent, according to Du Quoin Call. “We want to make a difference, and I think the most impactful way we can do that is (investing) in our community, invest in our students and invest in our families.”
The decision came after 20 years of early childhood programming at West Side School.
“Our son has learned so much attending pre-K at West Side,” parents Austin and Lyndsi Apple told Du Quoin Call. “He enjoys going to school, has made friends, and is academically prepared for kindergarten. The teachers truly care and are passionate about their jobs and love each child as their own."
At the June 2021 groundbreaking event for the new learning academy, Fowler noted the benefits to the community.
“To have this child study center right here on this ground in Harrisburg is an amazing accomplishment," Fowler said, according to Du Quoin Call. "To get this to fruition in just 78 days, to get an announcement, I can’t wait to see in the future what this is going to be like. I can’t wait for that day that the doors will open, we have that ribbon-cutting and we bring those children in and there (are) smiles on their faces.”
The early learning academy will be close to Harrisburg Middle School on 312 Bulldog Blvd.
“Harrisburg Community Unit District 3 has offered high-quality early childhood programming to the community's youngest learners,” District Curriculum Coordinator Natalie Fry said at the groundbreaking in 2021, according to Benton News. “The district has touched the lives of thousands of children.”
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