Hundreds of local centers offer free preschool for 4-year-olds through the state’s Voluntary Prekindergarten program. Use this database to find VPK programs near you and how the state scored the programs on a scale of 0 to 300. Centers that score below 214 are deemed low-performing and are at risk of losing funding. Enter a category to narrow your search or click “all” to see the complete database.
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How To Use This Database
Enter a category to narrow your search or click “all” to see the complete database. Click a column header on a results page to rank information numerically or alphabetically. Click "Map it" and scroll to the bottom of the page to find a location, then use the map's zoom tool to zero in on it. For questions or comments, contact Dennis Joyce, Data Circle editor, at djoyce@tampatrib.com.
About This Database
The Florida Department of Education scores all centers that offer Voluntary Prekindergarten programs. This list includes all centers in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Citrus, Hernando, Desoto, Hardee, Sumter and Highlands counties. The provider rating is based on how prepared students are for kindergarten. Students are tested on alphabet recognition, sound recognition and classroom readiness upon completion of the program. Low-performing providers are put on probation and must submit an action plan to the state.
Online producer: Janine Dorsey
