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State Committee Declined PCSD Preschool Grant Application

PCSD

Providing universal preschool is one of the Park City School District's master planning priorities. Meeting early benchmarks like 3rd-grade literacy and numeracy are drivers for lifetime earnings and success. The Utah Department of Workforce Services denied the district's $100,000 grant application last month.

Park City School District Business Administrator Todd Hauber said it was a surprise to learn that the DWS School Readiness Committee turned down their grant application. In the past several years, they've relied on winning a social impact grant valued at $100,000 to help fund the preschool program in the district. The $100,000 grant would have covered about one-third of the district's preschool budget.

"We will not be receiving the workforce services grant for our preschool program. That was disappointing to receive that because it started off as a social impact bond through United Way, and the state took it over. Even then, they said wait, wait, wait, we've been doing this for two or three years. We got that back on track, but now we've heard again, we are now not eligible or now not receiving the funding."   

Hauber is confident that with the tuition increase and budget adjustments, they'll continue to fund the preschool program in the district.

Department of Workforce Services Office of Childcare Director Rebecca Banner said the School Readiness Board would make final funding allocation decisions during their next meeting on May 26.

In Utah, the Department of Workforce Services subsidizes more than 2700 children ages three to four years old. The Head Start program has about 5700 {5724} children enrolled. Last year, the School Readiness Grants funded nearly 2300 {2285} eligible children enrolled in various preschool programs across the state.

Hauber said he is surprised by the grant denial notice they received. He said the state school readiness committee would not explain the decision.

Last year, $7.3 million covered preschool age children through the Expanded Access Grant. This year's funding amount is not released, but the Grant Committee meets May 26 and will announce funding amounts for next school year.

The School Readiness Amendments passed in the 2019 legislative session assist existing preschools in increasing high-quality educational curriculum. (35A 15-301)

The Expanded Student Access grant allows current programs to expand and provide funding to eligible students. (35A-15-302)
https://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/preschool

KPCW news reports on issues affecting children aged zero through three years old is brought to you by the Early Childhood fund at the Park City Community Foundation For more information go to early childhood Alliance.net.
 
 
 
 
 

KPCW reporter Carolyn Murray covers Summit and Wasatch County School Districts. She also reports on wildlife and environmental stories, along with breaking news. Carolyn has been in town since the mid ‘80s and raised two daughters in Park City.
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