Five-year-old Marlaina Paulding likes playing in the tents in her VPK classroom at Felix A. Williams Elementary School in Martin County. She likes learning the alphabet and numbers, and the Spanish ...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered changes to the state's VPK program. The Florida Department of Education said they released the 2017-2018 Voluntary Pre-k (VPK) readiness rates, ...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The cost of child care is on the rise and research shows it’s largely due to the pandemic. But in Florida, there is the option of free volunteer pre-kindergarten, also known as ...

On May 15, the Florida Department of Education released the 2017-2018 Voluntary Pre-K readiness rates, and statewide, only 58% of children who participated in VPK were ready for kindergarten. In ...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla — Enrollment for voluntary pre-kindergarten this fall is now open, but local programs are still seeing fewer students enroll than before the pandemic. VPK enrollment for early ...

Many parents of Pre-K students are weighing their options for how to get the best and safest education for their kids. One parent, Karen Douglas, has chosen to keep her 4-year-old son home for the ...

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - A local elementary school was recently recognized for the exceptional quality of its VPK program. Cedar Grove Elementary School earned the highest Voluntary ...

Hunter Geisel is a digital producer at CBS Miami. Hunter has previously produced digital content for local and national outlets, covering several topics from breaking news and current events to ...

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — For the first time, voluntary pre-kindergarten is now being offered to Osceola County children digitally. Ramona Jarvis, the mother of an immuno-compromised child, is happy to hear ...

Florida's first voluntary prekindergarten program began in 2005. The program is free for all 4-year-olds. School-readiness test scores show VPK prepares children for school. This story was updated to ...