State announces $15 million for expanded Pre-K
All Long Island districts are encouraged to apply
On September 4, Governor Cuomo announced $15 million in new funding for Pre-K across New York State--and, for the first time in a number of years, all school districts are eligible to apply.
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative invites school districts to participate in a conference call on Monday, October 1 at 3:00 p.m. and encourages districts to file a Notice of Intent by Friday, October 5.
"It's important to demonstrate that Long Island school districts have an interest in state funding for Pre-K programs," says The Initiative's Lucinda Hurley. "In the past we have heard from legislators that our region doesn't need the money--or that our school districts don't care about Pre-K."
Currently, less than 10% of four-year-olds in our region have access to full-day state-funded Pre-K. By contrast, in New York City, 100% of four-year-olds are offered seats in state-funded full-day programs. Even so, in the press release announcing this new grant, Governor Cuomo made the point that: "It's critical that every child in New York has equal access to quality Pre-K programs."
Under the new $15 million grant, preference will be given to high-needs school districts with no existing Pre-K program, but the funding can also be used to convert half-day slots to full-day or to create new half-day placements.
We invite all interested parties, including CBOs who may be collaborating with a school district or interested in partnering, to participate in a conference call on Monday, October 1 at 3:00 p.m. Please e-mail
prek@nasboces.org to RSVP and to receive the conference call phone number.
On the call will be grant-writing expert Marie Battaglia from Battaglia & Associates-Grants for Growth. She will provide technical assistance and answer questions about the application process.
"Long Island's need for state Pre-K funding is significant," says Hurley. "Yet, for many years, we've been left out because 'Albany' thinks that there is little interest on our part. Submitting a Notice of Intent for this grant is an effective way to demonstrate that our region does have a need for Pre-K and an interest in state funding."
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Dates to Remember:
Monday, October 1, 2018, 3:00 p.m.: Technical assistance conference call sponsored by The Long Island Pre-K Initiative. RSVP to
prek@nasboces.org
Friday, October 5, 2018: Deadline to file a Notice of Intent via e-mail to
PREKRFP@nysed.gov
Monday, October 29, 2018: Deadline to mail grant application.
Click here for RFP
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