The Clinton County School District has been awarded a $150,000 Preschool Partnership grant from the Kentucky Department of Education. The grant will make it possible to extend preschool to a full-day program for CCAP-eligible families.

In addition to a new preschool classroom at the Early Childhood Center, the grant will fund preschool teachers to provide educational services to students at Lake Cumberland Head Start and Mig’s Place Day Care for ten hours each week.

Families who participate in the new program can take advantage of a number of opportunities for their children, including a two-week Jump Start Summer Academy, after school programming until 5:30 p.m. daily, and multiple family engagement activities. Recruitment for preschool-age children to participate in the new program will begin in November.

The Clinton County School Board voted, at its regular meeting on October 17, to accept the grant, which totals $150,000. In relation, it also opted to establish a certified preschool teacher and a classified instructional assistant, both for 100 hours per year at $9.97 per hour and further, a classified recruiter/family advocate, also for 100 hours at 9.97 per hour.

Clinton County Assistant Superintendent / Instructional Supervisor Paula Little said the grant application was completed in August for the new KDE program, which came from funds approved by the state legislature and runs from November 1 through June 30 of next year. However, she noted that if the program is extended beyond next year, the district would again apply.

Currently there are 15 preschool students who will benefit from the extra learning time and activities, and the district hopes to recruit at least that many more to participate. Little said the number of students at the pre-kindergarten age who wished to join would not be turned away, noting they would make room for every child.

Little said the main goal of the new program was to get more preschool age children ready for kindergarten and beyond.

Primarily, the grant funds will be used for staffing, teacher training, and curriculum materials.

Bus transportation is also provided to all children in preschool, Little noted.

Little called the grant a “wonderful opportunity” for preschool age children and encourages any parent or guardian with a three to four year old child interested in finding our more or how to enroll their children for participation should contact her by calling 387-6480.