As part of the New York State Education Department’s $34 million in Universal Prekindergarten Expansion grants, the Southwestern Central School District has been awarded $114,173.

Sixty-four school districts across NYS received funding. The grants will enable districts to establish new full-day PreK placements or to convert existing placements from half- to full-day, said Commissioner Betty A. Rosa.

“We are delighted to receive increased funding to expand our UPK opportunities for our students,” said SWCS Superintendent Maureen Donahue. “We will increase to full time programming that will benefit our students.”

All public-school districts in New York State were eligible to apply for the competitive grant opportunity, the state education department said.

“When children enroll in high-quality and effective PreK programs, they gain a significant advantage in early skills that prepare them for success in elementary school. Expanding access to full-day PreK programs through these grants will help more of New York’s children succeed,” Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young Jr. said.

The state education department added that grants were awarded based upon a district’s plan to serve a community’s highest need schools and students; the level of existing prekindergarten services; the extent to which a district planned to maximize the total number of eligible four-year-old children served in its programs; and other factors.

“When we provide equitable opportunities for children in their early years, they reap the benefits throughout their lives. The Department is deeply committed to providing a strong educational foundation to every single child in New York – because that is what each of them deserves,” Rosa added.

Awarded school districts will be able to operate a 180-day program during the 2024-2025 school year.