The Jenkins School's History
The Elizabeth Jenkins Early Childhood Center was named after Elizabeth M. Jenkins in 1970 who was a teacher at the Millersville Laboratory School from 1948 to 1970. The Center was first developed to act as an educational aid for new teachers and early childhood educators. The Jenkins School, as it is called today, is located at 3131 Columbia Ave, Lancaster, PA 17603.
John E. Pflum was the first Director of Jenkins in 1970. The basic organization of Jenkins in 1970 consisted of a 4-year-old kindergarten, a primary and an intermediate unit, and a Special Education class.
During the spring of 1978, the college administration changed the focus of the curriculum to provide a setting in which pre-service and in-service teacher education students could observe and participate in exemplary education practices. Other programs were developed to meet future needs such as an evening care program, parent workshops, an after school program, and also a Saturday program.
In 1989, Ingrid Vail became the Director of Elizabeth Jenkins Early Childhood Center and Linda Kasper followed in 1991. Jenkins continued to provide a quality program to children, parents, and families. University students continue to use Jenkins today as a learning tool. Jenkins was under the control of Millersville University until 1998.
Under the leadership of the Director, Kathy Bailey, Jenkins was successfully managed by Student Services, Inc. from 1999 to 2002. Renamed The Jenkins School in 2005, the school has its own Executive Board of Directors who now assist the Administration in running the school efficiently. In early 2023, Kathy Bailey returned to the school Director position as interim Director.
With the charismatic and experience of Kathy Bailey and Heather Conway's direction, programming is being expanded and enrollment is growing. We are happy to be steadily welcoming new students to our family and helping them grow and learn. We are excited to have a cohesive, collaborative and caring staff in place in order to best serve our families.
The staff includes state-certified teachers, graduate students and University undergraduate students as teacher aides. All members of the teaching faculty are fully certified in elementary and/or early childhood education and/or special education by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
As in the past, Millersville graduate and undergraduate students are involved in the Jenkins classroom activities in various ways. Their enthusiasm and creativity add immeasurably to the school. The Jenkins School has had a long-standing tradition of benefiting both the University students and the children of the community.
