The Baby Jags program that has been at this school since it opened may be in danger.

The program does not have enough kids and the school may cut it if it does not gain additional

children by the next school year.

The program, which has been at Athens since 1978, is a preschool for 3-5 year olds. It is

run by three teachers, Jewel Hughes, Lorraine Saunders and the founder of the preschool,

Paulette Hicks. Hicks has been with the program since the start, and Hughes and Saunders have

been with the program since 1983. The three teachers have all seen students from the program

go on to graduate from Athens and have their own children that would then take part in the Baby

Jags program.

The program allows the children to make cookies with Wes Burt, culinary teacher, read

stories in the library, create art with Farrall Hilton, do age-appropriate biology experiments, and

even eat lunch in the cafeteria. The program is also open to Athens Drive students to help with

the kids. It allows the student to prepare to be a teacher, interact with professional sources, and

even design lesson plans.

“I can’t say enough good things,” said parent and teacher, Abbey Wood.

According to Wood, the program is convenient to her and her husband because they can

drop their daughter, Braelyn, off and go straight to work in the same building. Parents are even

allowed to visit their children during the day. She is looking forward to seeing her daughter

graduate next year, but will not be able to if the program is shut down. Wood even said that if her

daughter had graduated she would still promote the program to other parents.

“It has grown tremendously through the years,” said Hughes.

Hicks says she has had a very large enrollment since the program began, but in the past

year has seen it decline. The program is in danger because not enough children are enrolled

in the program, especially the three-year-old class, and may be cut if it can not fill those spots

within the next school year. Hicks has said that a reason for the decline in the program would

be the competition with no-cost programs. It would be up to the school whether or not to cut the

program, not Wake County.

The Baby Jags program has not had any advertising in the thirty-seven years it has been

open and has all just been word of mouth. Since the enrollment in the program is decreasing,

they are having to find advertising which has not exactly been hard. Hicks says that they get at

least two calls every day from different advertising companies.

The staff, parents, and kids hope the program continues. The staff hopes Athens Drive

students spread the word about the Baby Jags program. Abbey Wood has set up a facebook page

that students and parents can visit to learn even more about the program and support it.