Hiseville Elementary School in Barren County stepped to the head of the class Tuesday when it became one of 10 elementary schools in Kentucky that will host a Toyota Motor Manufacturing bornlearning Academy following an announcement in Frankfort by Gov. Steve Beshear.

The announcement Tuesday said $115,000 will be distributed to the 10 schools. Hiseville is receiving $11,500 – $6,000 in cash and $5,500 in donated materials.

The announcement is part of a five-year, $450,000 commitment by Toyota to help kids become ready to attend school, said Rick Hesterberg, manager of community relations for Toyota.

Toyota plans to extend the program to 25 elementary schools throughout Kentucky. Hiseville will be designated as a pilot school, Hiseville Principal Jeff Richey said.

“It’s good to be a kid,” Richey said. “This will teach parents to be involved in their lives. This gives parents another tool in their tool kit.”

The idea is to work with expectant mothers and young parents in a variety of activities at the school, which serves 282 students. When school is in session, the number of students in the school building is greater than the 240 people who call Hiseville home.

Richey said the programs will give parents a chance “to be kids with their kids.” There will be food, fun and information to help the young parents. Bo Matthews, superintendent of the Barren County School District, sent an email about the Toyota grant opportunity to the district grant writer, Holly Trowbridge, who began working on the project this summer.

There will be discussions about animals and plants, good nutrition and other topics. Child care will be available for parents during the programs, Richey said.

Richey said that when Sheila Hunt, the family resource center coordinator at Hiseville, made home visits, she found very young children who were not yet school age who could be helped through school programs. With the new program, Hiseville will be helping children from birth to 5 years old. He said with the need out there, more and more schools will be looking into similar efforts.

The bornlearning Academy uses programming created by United Way Worldwide and a workshop model developed by Tim Hanner, a retired school superintendent; United Way of Greater Cincinnati; and Northern Kentucky University, according to a news release from Toyota. That collaboration eventually included the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and United Way of Kentucky.

Hesterberg said Toyota became aware of the northern Kentucky pilot program and now has created a partnership between government, communities and business.

“Data shows that if children fall behind, they don’t catch up,” Hesterberg said. “There’s a lot of practicality and life lessons here.”

“Improving early education opportunities for Kentucky’s youngest citizens helps ensure their future success in the classroom and beyond,” Beshear said in the release. “The Toyota bornlearning Academies will help prepare young people as they enter school, and they will more likely be engaged throughout their school careers and become employable and productive adults.”

The nine other elementary schools are Crabbe Elementary in Ashland; Burgin Elementary in Burgin; May Valley Elementary in Prestonsburg; Grandview Elementary in Bellevue; East Calloway Elementary in Murray; H.W. Wilkey Elementary in Leitchfield; Berea Elementary in Berea; Farley Elementary in Paducah; and Boston Elementary in New Haven, the release said.