Idaho’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction visits area schools

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield visited Hibbard Elementary School on Tuesday morning.

She toured both Hibbard's new elementary school and the early childhood education center, which is now in the previous elementary school.

The program is relatively new to the area but has been very popular.

"We have a waiting list,” said Randy Lords, Madison School District Superintendant. “Right now, we currently have 180 students and a waiting list of probably that many, of parents who want to get on that list. In fact, we use Child Find to have our students enrolled. We also have, when parents, when they have a child who's born and they as soon as they're born, they try to get on the waiting list for three years down the road to get into the preschool."

The Pre-k program has 17 classes serving ages 3 and older.

Critchfield is spending several weeks visiting Idaho school this month. She made visits to West Jefferson and Sugar-Salem school districts on Monday and Fremont, Madison and Rigby schools on Tuesday. She plans to visit White Pine Charter School STEM Academy in Ammon on Wednesday.

Critchfield is also scheduled to visit schools in the Weiser, Lewiston, Marsh Valley, North Gem, Grace, Soda Springs, Bear Lake, Preston, West Side and Oneida school districts, as well as Gem Prep Meridian before the end of the month.