TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Tuscaloosa City Schools (TCS) is set to receive grant funding to support its pre-kindergarten program.
The First Class Pre-K Intervention Grant will aid TCS in working toward its goal of providing top-notch preschool education for all students eligible for its pre-k program. The grant is awarded by the Alabama Office of School Readiness.
“Our district recognizes the importance of high quality preschool education to the future success of our students,” Superintendent Dr. Paul McKendrick said. “We continually seek opportunities to expand our preschool services as we endeavor to serve as many students as possible.”
The grant will support pre-k programs at Skyland and Martin Luther King, Jr. elementary schools. The system currently serves 320 students in 20 classrooms located across the district.
Chairman of the Alabama House Ways and Means Education Committee, Rep. Bill Poole (R-Tuscaloosa), was instrumental in helping TCS secure the grant. Poole serves House District 63.
“I am excited about the opportunity to establish an additional first-class pre-k classroom in our community through this grant,” Poole said. “This classroom will be an asset to our children and our community.”
Poole said Tuscaloosa has been a leader in the area of pre-k education. He said Alabama’s voluntary First Class Pre-K program has been recognized as the number one state initiated pre-k program in the country.
TCS serves approximately 50 percent of students eligible for the pre-k program. That includes all students who receive special education services, those identified as homeless/displaced, English Language Learners and students considered at risk.
McKendrick said the grant will also help ensure services for students living in priority school areas.
“This funding enables our district to continue to expand high quality preschool education services to those students most at risk for academic challenges,” McKendrick said. “This increased funding ensures our preschool children receive access to the long-term benefits of pre-kindergarten education.”
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