OUTSTANDING NEWS!

Grants to pay for early childhood education

Monday, March 2, 2009 6:04 AM EST
By DIANA DILLABER MURRAYOf The Oakland Press

PONTIAC – The Pontiac Early Academy for Childhood Education has been allocated $1.8 million to prepare children for success in kindergarten and the future.The 2008-2009 Great Start Readiness Program will fund up to 540 children at $3,400 a day for a total of $1.836 million. The grants allow the district to offer the program without charging tuition to the parents.

Breaking it down, the state funds will cover the $1,305,600 million cost of the combination of part-day, all-day/ alternative day, Head Start blend or Home-based preschool education for 384 eligible 4-year-old children at the PEACE preschool academy at Frost School on the city’s south side.

It will also cover the $435,200 cost of full-day preschool education for 64 eligible 4-year-old children.Next school year, Acting Superintendent Linda Paramore plans to open some full-day preschool classes at Whitmer Human Resource Center because the free fullday preschool program at Frost is so popular, there isn’t enough room to meet the demand at Frost School.

The funds were made available by the state Legislature because of the importance of improving school readiness for 4-year-old children who may have extraordinary need of special assistance, according to the resolution.

The Pontiac Board of Education voted this week to approve the resolution accepting the funds and documenting how they will be spent.The board also recently approved the purchase and installation of the Waterford computer-based literacy program at the preschool academy. Studies have shown children make great gains with the program, district officials said.

The PEACE academy, which serves preschool children district wide, was opened in Frost School in September with Principal Deborah Broderick at the helm. It was cleaned and painted and spiffed up after being closed for a few years because of declining enrollment, said Mardella Alexander, acting chief of academics.

The school district hopes to eventually to add day care to finish out the day for children in the half-day preschool.All of the children are 4 years old. They come by school bus or with parents. Each class has a maximum of 16 children with one teacher and one assistant. Children with autism are included in the regular classroom.