RI to Expand Pre-K As Result of $4.5M in Federal Funding
Sunday, January 31, 2021
The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) announced new federal funding to expand Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) in the 2021-2022 school year.
Presently, the state's Pre-K program provides free education to 1,848 four-year-old children in 16 Rhode Island communities.
“Pre-K is an incredibly powerful tool for student success and Rhode Island continues to be a national leader in early learning and high-quality early childhood education,” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“The pandemic has set back our children’s learning and development, especially our youngest learners who are at a fragile developmental stage. We are grateful to our Federal Delegation for advocating for funding to support children during this difficult time and to Governor Raimondo for awarding these funds to RIDE to expand a program proven to increase equity in our education system,” she added.
About Federal Funding
This expansion is made possible by funds awarded by the Administration of Children and Families' Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) and the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER).
By leveraging $4.5 million in federal funding over two years, the state will be able to expand its 2021-2022 RI Pre-K program by at least 10 new classrooms and 200 seats, growing from 100 to at least 110 classrooms and expanding to new communities.
The funding includes $2.5M in GEER funds and $2M in PDG B-5 funds, which will cover the amount needed to ensure new classrooms meet all RI Pre-K quality standards.
"Rhode Island benefits from having one of the highest-quality Pre-K programs in the nation, yet we are 35th in Pre-K access. It is very exciting to see additional investment in this critical program, because we know that a child's educational trajectory can be changed by access to high-quality early learning experiences,” said Elizabeth Burke Bryant, Executive Director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT.
“Now more than ever, we need to support our children and ensure they are on track educationally as they grow up during unprecedented times,” said Burke Bryant.
In 2019, Rhode Island was once again rated as one of the four top states in the nation for high-quality Pre-K by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) State of Preschools.
Later this month, RIDE will launch a Request for Proposals (RFP) process for providers to apply to be one of the new Pre-K classrooms.
A full list of existing providers can be found on RIDE’s website HERE.
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