McRae-Gaines Learning Center is an historic pre-school, kindergarten and primary grade school, serving children from 18 months to 8 years of age (includes First and Second Grades), founded in 1978 in Selma. Its mission was then, and remains today, “to give our students the opportunity to benefit from receiving an excellent education ‘from the least to the greatest.’” The school’s focus is to provi
de its students a rigorous academic foundation in reading, writing, math and science before they enter the public school system. Since its founding in 1978, McRae-Gaines Learning Center has influenced the success of its graduates as they go on to attend Selma public and private schools by giving them an early start in the fundamentals so important to school readiness. The school's unique curriculum begins with students as young as 18-months old and most students are reading by the age of three. Its contribution to confident and prepared students in their continued education is measurable and significant. Graduates from McRae-Gaines have pursued their studies in colleges and universities throughout the United States. Today, these students serve their communities as teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects, community developers, government officials and in many other professions.
