Troup County schools pre-K program is bursting at the seams with the youngest of students ready to learn.

Exactly 700 4-year-olds or soon-to-be 4-year-olds will be situated Wednesday in classrooms at each Troup County elementary school as well as private day-care services.

There is a waiting list of more than 170 who would like to get in.

“This begins our 17th year of serving 4-year-olds in the Troup County school system. We’re very excited,” Pat Barton, director of elementary curriculum, said at Tuesday’s school board meeting. “This is the class of 2024 that will begin on Wednesday morning, bright and early.”

The school system will house 480 students, while private facilities will be have 220.

“We were at capacity for what we could serve this year,” said Pat Barton, the school system’s director of elementary curriculum.

The system works with private organizations, including sending students placed on waiting lists to fill available spots at the other classrooms.

“It’s a great partnership,” Barton said of the two groups.

The child-care organizations applied for a classroom through the state.

To be eligible for pre-kindergarten, a child must be 4 years old by Sept. 1. A set of documents including a birth certificate, Social Security card, proof of address and immunization records also are required.

After that, parents have to wait to see if their child is selected through a lottery system for a pre-K program. Only 20 students are allowed per classroom. Those that aren’t randomly selected are put on a waiting list.

More than 170 students are on the system’s waiting list. Schools can’t add more classrooms because of decreased funds from state sources.

If slots open up, parents are notified.

“We’re going to try what we can do to contact you,” Barton said. “Once you’re accepted, we want you to have that spot.”

In other matters, the board is expected Thursday to approve:

n Spending $262,717 for roof replacement at Hogansville Elementary School. Jimco Construction Co. in Fayetteville was chosen for the project.

n Modifications to the system’s Aramark contract for custodial care. The school system will pay $83,528 for the depreciated value of system equipment purchased by the company, $70,134 for the purchase of cleaning chemicals and $324,595 for the annual renewal of Aramark’s custodial management service. The system renegotiated the contract to allow the system to purchase its own cleaning supplies, saving about $125,000. The system also will purchase its own cleaning equipment from Tennant Co. in Minneapolis for $67,867.

Trey Wood can be reached at twood@ lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 228.