Indiana State University Newsroom

The pre-school program provided by Indiana State University at Franklin Elementary School in Terre Haute will close at the end of the school year, university officials announced Wednesday.

The pre-school, operated by the Bayh College of Education, serves about 40 children between the ages of 3 and 5 with half-day programs. The college's Child Care Center at University Apartments will remain open and continue to provide comprehensive care and education for children 6 weeks to 5 years of age while also serving as a teaching laboratory for ISU early, elementary and special education students. The Child Care Center serves about 70 students with full-day programs. Both facilities are part of the fully accredited ISU Early Childhood Education Center.

"We regret that the closure of the pre-school was necessary and want to give parents as much notice as possible so that they can make other arrangements," said Brad Balch, dean of the Bayh College of Education. "Consistent with the university's strategic plan, cuts have been made in the college's budget in areas that will have the least impact on experiential learning and academic research. These opportunities exist at the Child Care Center, which provides a more broad-based educational and child development program."

The half-day pre-school has not generated sufficient revenue to break even and the college's pre-service education students do not use the program, Balch said.

The pre-school's closure is part of Indiana State's previously announced budget reduction plan made necessary by a $10.5 million cut in state funding for the 18-month period ending June 30, 2011. The closure will result in the elimination of two full-time and two part-time positions.

Affected parents are urged to contact Community Alliance and Services for Young Children (CASY) at 812-232-3952 or visit the alliance's Web site at www.casyonline.org. CASY provides child care resources and referrals in conjunction with the Indiana Association for Child Care Resource and Referral and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.

Media contact and writer: Dave Taylor, media relations director, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3743 or dave.taylor@indstate.edu