Tim Kaine chats with  a pre-K teacher at Scottsburg Elementary School. Kaine swung through as part of his effort to visit every school division in the state. His originally scheduled visit, last winter, was snowed out. (MEC photo)

From staff reports

Almost immediately, School Superintendent Paul Stapleton touted his pre-K program, with its art, music, dance, swimming lessons and – in the offing – motorsports.

Kaine responded that the legislature gave him funds for pre-K pilot programs around the state that would accept any child who wanted to come, not just the underprivileged.

“I was hoping you guys would be one of the applicants,” Kaine said.

Ducking into Beth Epperson’s pre-K class, Kaine said his daughter began school better prepared than his sons, who had no public pre-K. He also shook hands with young Deaundre Jeffers, who was turning five that day and wore a paper crown to announce her status.

Kaine got down on one knee in a pre-K special ed inclusion class as a “community child” comforted a handicapped child who was overwhelmed by the suited visitors and camera flashes. Teacher Amanda Shepherd noted that was a perfect example of inclusion in action.

Though Kaine’s heart and political initiatives may lie with the pre-Ks, he actually spent the most time in Janet Blevin’s fifth grade class, taking civics questions.

Kaine also toured the school’s brand-new computer lab – the first in Halifax County – and a kindergarten class. Scheduling demands ruled out a visit to The Prizery’s pre-K site.

If teachers and staffers seemed awed by Kaine’s visit – secretaries leaned over desks to snap pictures of him through the window blinds – at least a few students seemed more impressed with a cameraman for Channel 13.

“Hey, I watch you!” exclaimed a fifth grade girl.

As the tour wound down, a school system supervisor turned to Scottsburg Principal Linda Maitland. “Everything was perfect!” he said.

Departing for South Boston, Kaine got a celebrity’s send-off.

Students assembled in front of the school began an impromptu chant: “Tim Kaine! Tim Kaine!” as the governor sped off to Downtown South Boston.

Even there, in Constitution Square, Kaine again picked up the subject of education:

“I bet there’s a higher percentage of four-year-olds in pre-K in Halifax than I’d say were in any other part of Virginia,” Kaine ventured with approval. In expanding the state’s pre-K offerings, “It’s all about learning what’s a success and then taking that part forward to other parts of the state and saying, ‘Hey you ought to come and look at what Halifax County is doing.’”

The Governor added that he also wanted to come to Downtown South Boston to see how the Main Street Program is working and following his welcome at Constitution Square, the Governor toured Main Street, talking with several business and property owners along the way.

Kaine also noted that Bill Shelton of the Department of Housing and Community Development was accompanying him on the trip.

In addition to the businesses along Main Street Kaine and Shelton reviewed plans for the development of the Loft Apartments in the old J. P. Taylor building on Ferry Street.

At Constitution Square Kaine thanked Delegate Clarke Hogan for joining him there. He said the two of them had spent a lot of time together over the past six weeks while the General Assembly was in session and he was happy that Hogan had come to join in welcoming him to South Boston. Kaine said he was also delighted to see his old friend, Judge Charles McCormick, in whose court he had tried several cases earlier in his legal career.

Noting that it was great “to get out of Richmond for awhile” and to be so warmly welcomed to the community, Kaine thanked South Boston Mayor Carroll Thackston and William Fitzgerald, chairman of the County Board of Supervisors for a gift basket they presented to him. “You didn’t need to do this,” he said, “having all of you turn out for this warm welcome was indeed a gift,” he said.