The Sarasota County School District will establish two full-time pilot programs for four-year-old children at Gocio Elementary, beginning in August. The program, approved by the School Board July 18, will include a three-year study to gauge the academic impact of high-quality preschool instruction on young children. The classes will be taught by two certified master teachers and two certified paraprofessionals. Students who live in the Gocio Elementary attendance zone will be eligible; the school is located at 3450 Gocio Road in Sarasota. The program is made possible through Joe and Mary Kay Henson, local philanthropists who founded the Eagle Academy at Alta Vista Elementary. The Hensons have committed $700,000 over a three-year period to fund the initial set-up and costs related to this study. The young students in the program will be immersed in learning through a curriculum incorporating a variety of experiences. Upon completion of their preschool experience, they will be able to transition into Gocio’s Summer Learning Academy. Students participating in the Academy will have the benefit of a year of school-based academic learning before beginning kindergarten.

Gocio Elementary