Montgomery Council President Hans Riemer and Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith attend ribbon cutting for MacDonald Knolls Early Childhood Center

For Immediate Release: Friday, November 2, 2018

Expanding early childhood education has been a long-term effort by the Council, Montgomery County Public Schools and the County’s Department of Health and Human Services

ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 2, 2018—Montgomery County Council President Hans Riemer participated in the ribbon cutting for the grand opening of MacDonald Knolls Early Childhood Center in Silver Spring, which took place this morning along with Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Smith. MacDonald Knolls is the first regional pre-kindergarten (pre-K) facility in the County implemented by Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).

Its vision is to “inspire and motivate every child to become a life-long learner.”

“Everyone has been a part of this, and it was such an exciting day,” said Riemer. “This is a real testament to our commitment that every child should start kindergarten ready to learn. We have so much work to do to get there and we’re seeing there’s a path forward.”

“The opening of this center is a testament to the importance of pre-K in our county,” said Councilmember Craig Rice, Chair of the Council’s Education Committee. “For all our children to achieve their true potential, it is necessary to set the foundation for learning and education in their early years.”

“The most strategic and effective interventions occur at the earliest possible moment in a child’s life,” said Council Vice President Nancy Navarro. “Closing the opportunity gap and making sure every student is prepared to learn on the first day of school is the socioeconomic imperative of our time. This is why I am excited about the opening of the MacDonald Knolls Early Childhood Center. I look forward to working collaboratively with MCPS and other stakeholders to ensure that children, especially those who need it most, have access to high-quality early care and education.”

“The expansion of full-day, high-quality early childhood programs provide children the opportunity to acquire literacy, mathematics and social/emotional skills for success in school and later learning in life,” said MCPS Superintendent Jack Smith. “My hope is that the MacDonald Knolls Early Childhood Center will represent a model for early childhood programming that may be duplicated in other parts of our growing county.”

On Oct. 30 Councilmembers were briefed on early childcare and education by representatives from the County’s Department of Health and Human Services and MCPS. Information presented at the Council meeting noted that the latest kindergarten readiness data show that 47 percent of kindergarteners demonstrate readiness. The County's rate is higher than the state average; however, 11 Maryland counties have higher readiness rates than the County.

In fiscal year 2019 (FY19), approximately 3,200 four-year-olds were enrolled in publicly-funded pre-K provided by MCPS and community-providers. The number of four-year-olds in publicly funded full-day pre-K has increased by 90 percent over the past two years, from 653 in FY17 to 1,238 in FY19. The Council has added more than $3 million in FY18-19 to expand pre-K services in MCPS in addition to the pre-K funding requested by the Board of Education.

County and school officials hope that MacDonald Knolls will serve as a model for future childhood centers.

MacDonald Knolls is located at 10611 Tenbrook Dr., and is fully enrolled, offering four classes of 15 four-year-old students and two half-day sessions for three-year-olds.

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Release ID: 18-290
Media Contact: Ken Silverman 240-777-7830, Juan Jovel 240-777-7931