Funding in the amount of $25 million has been awarded to support pre-k
programs in New York City, Yonkers, Port Chester, Watertown and
Uniondale. The grant, administered by the U.S. Departments of Education
and Health and Human Services, expands access to high-quality preschool
for children from low- to moderate-income families and helps communities
prepare the most vulnerable children for success in school. The $25
million represents year three of this grant and will be renewed to
expand access to new high-quality preschool classrooms, or improved
classrooms in high-need communities throughout the state.
“This funding represents another step
forward in our mission to provide every child with high-quality
education opportunities early in their lives,” Governor Cuomo said. “By
expanding pre-k access for children across the state, we are ensuring
that our youngest New Yorkers get ahead, and putting them on a path
toward future success.”
New York State was first awarded $25 million
in federal funding in December, 2014 to create full-day
pre-kindergarten slots for children in high-need
communities. That grant helped create a total of 2,385 full-day slots
in New York City, Yonkers, Port-Chester, Rye, Uniondale and Watertown,
and supported the first pre-kindergarten programs in Uniondale and
Port-Chester Rye. To ensure quality in the new slots, districts that
received funding were required participate in Quality Stars NY, the
state’s monitoring and improvement system.
The state applied for a total of $100
million over four years, and further allocations up to that $100 million
are subject to the state’s progress in achieving its benchmarks in
these districts and the availability of funds. New York’s award this
year was renewed for $25 million to continue its progress in expanding
access to quality pre-kindergarten education. New York was recognized by
the federal government for creating more slots than the original goal
the state set for in the grant application.
Final district-level allocations for the
third year of the program as follows: $7.6 million for New York City,
$7.3 million for Yonkers, $3.2 million for Port Chester, $2.5 million
for Watertown, and $3.2 million for Uniondale. New York will also
receive funding to invest in State-level infrastructure.
This funding is made available through the U.S. Department of Education’s Preschool Development Grant program. A total of 35 states and Puerto Rico submitted applications to
the program this year, but New York is one of only 18 to receive
funding.
New York State has more than doubled the
State’s commitment to pre-kindergarten from $385 million to $810 million
on a State level, serving over 120,000 students. Studies show that
children who participate in high-quality early care and education
programs are far more likely to read at grade level and graduate from
high school and that quality full-day pre-kindergarten programs in
particular are credited with producing significant increases in student
performance in math and reading for participating students by the second
grade as well as decreasing the rates of grade retention.
Congressman Eliot Engel said,
“Early childhood education is one of the keys to ensuring a child’s
long-term academic success. New York has been a national leader in
expanding pre-k for working families. As a former school teacher, I know
just how important it is to have elected officials at every level
working together to support those bright young minds. I applaud Governor
Cuomo for working so closely with the Congressional Delegation to fund
quality pre-k programming in Yonkers and in New York City.”
Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey said,
“It’s never too early to get ahead, and that’s why pre-kindergarten
programs are so vital for students’ long term success. I’ve fought hard
to increase our investments in pre-k, and I’m thrilled that Port Chester
will use this money to create more full-time pre-k slots. With the new
Administration and Congress next year, I will fight to protect pre-k and
other investments in early education that help students realize their
highest potential.”
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
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