Maryland’s Lieutenant Gov Anthony Brown and the Maryland State Department of Education announced a $4.3-million grant total on July 28, money the state will use to fund its prekindergarten expansion.
The state is partnering with local providers and school systems to expand high-quality pre-K to an additional 1,563 children.
Mr Brown was joined by Maryland Board of Education President Charlene Dukes, Baltimore County Superintendent of Schools Dallas Dance, other state and local officials, and early childhood education advocates for a press conference to announce the grants, which will go to 24 providers throughout the state.
“Every child in Maryland deserves to be able to climb the ladder of opportunity towards success, and expanding access to quality early childhood education is a critical part of our effort to close the achievement gap throughout our state,” Mr Brown said. “With this $4.3 million investment, we’re ensuring that another 1,560 of our children will have access to a high-quality Pre-K program this year. By working together with educators, advocates, parents, and members of our communities, we’re one step closer to making high quality, voluntary Pre-K available to each and every one of Maryland’s children.”
The Prekindergarten Expansion Act of 2014 builds on Maryland’s existing pre-K system and expands the number of pre-K slots available to include Maryland children whose families make up to 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Grant recipients were selected by MSDE following the application process, which began in April:
Episcopal Community Service of Maryland (Baltimore City), $112,000
Excellent Start Learning Center (Baltimore Co.), $112,000
Play and Learn at Hunt Valley (Baltimore Co.), $111,840
Successful Children Learning Center (Baltimore Co,), $112,000
White Marsh Child Care Center (Baltimore Co.), $112,000
New Beginnings Christian Learning Center (Carroll), $111,403
Carl & Norma Miller Children’s Center @ Frederick C.C. (Frederick), $55,644
Monacacy Montessori Communities (Frederick), $126,000
The Learning Bee (Frederick), $112,000
Garrett County Community Action Committee (Garrett), $112,000
Kiddie Academy of Forest Hill (Harford), $56,000
Community Action Council of Howard County, MD (Howard), $212,800
The Young School (Howard), $56,000
Academy Child Development Center (Montgomery), $112,000
Alef Bet Montessori School (Montgomery) $112,000
CentroNia (Montgomery) $112,000
Vasuma LLC/DBA Kiddie Academy of Kent Island (Queen Anne’s), $112,000Baltimore County Public Schools, $272,692
Prince George’s County Public Schools, $571,621
Washington County Public Schools, $336,000
Wicomico County Board of Education, $280,000Caroline County Public Schools, $330,000
Garrett County Public Schools, $330,000
Somerset County Public Schools, $330,000
“This Prekindergarten Expansion Grant builds upon the existing public prekindergarten system and moves us even closer to the target goal of providing universal access to high-quality prekindergarten for Maryland children of all income levels,” said Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Lillian M Lowery.
In order to encourage partnership with the private sector and local and national foundations, the grant program allows businesses and philanthropic entities to contribute funds to support the expansion, which will be matched by MSDE. In addition to the $4.3 million in state funding, the Baltimore Community Foundation has established an agreement with MSDE and Baltimore City Public Schools to fund the opening of a new Judy Center at Arundel Elementary/Middle School in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Baltimore City.
BCF’s contribution, sponsored by the Ravens and M&T Bank, is $165,000 per year for three years, which represents 50 percent of the operating costs for a Judy Center. The remaining $165,000 is covered by MSDE. After three years, MSDE will assume total operating costs for the Judy Center.
BCF President and CEO Thomas E Wilcox said, “We know that public-private investments are a powerful way to address what seem like intractable problems. That is why our partnership with Maryland State Department of Education and City Schools is so central to the success of our school readiness goal.”
