BENTONVILLE — The School District will expand its free prekindergarten program for low-income families this fall.
The district received a $200,000 grant from the state Department of Human Services to provide two more prekindergarten classrooms at its Central Pre-K Center at 402 N.W. Second St., just west of the downtown square. Those two classrooms will be able to accommodate 40 children.
At A Glance
Income Eligibility
Parents interested in enrolling their children in one of the Bentonville School District’s free prekindergarten classes must meet certain income eligibility requirements. A two-person family may earn no more than $38,819; a three-person family may earn no more than $42,543; and a family of four or more people may earn no more than $48,445. One parent must be working at least 30 hours per week or be attending school full time.
Source: Staff Report
Though there's no charge for the classes, participating families’ incomes must not exceed certain amounts. The same goes for prekindergarten classes offered at Tennie Russell Primary School on Bella Vista Road, which has space for 240 students.
“The children of low-income families are the ones most at risk of failure,” said Deb Kee, district director of early childhood education. “We want to help them be prepared for future success in school.”
The child-to-teacher ratio will be 10 to 1. Teachers will have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and teacher’s aides will have a child development associate credential.
The Central Pre-K Center facility is home to two prekindergarten classes as part of the district’s Building Bridges program, but those classes are tuition-based. Families pay $150 per week for a 3-year-old and $145 per week for a 4-year-old to attend.
The district has budgeted about $64,000 to renovate the facility to accommodate the two more classrooms at Central Pre-K, said Paul Wallace, district facilities director. That work will include some demolition; new walls; addition of doors; counters and cabinets; painting; updating electrical and wallboard to cover paneling.
The district announced its new prekindergarten classes on Twitter and Facebook on Thursday. Niki Nichols, program registrar, said she had 10 calls about it within a few hours of that announcement.
“It’s been amazing,” Nichols said.
Applications are being accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Anyone interested in enrolling their children should call Nichols at 479-254-5040.
There is great demand for prekindergarten services, Kee said, especially those that are free.
School districts across Arkansas receive money from through the state to provide free prekindergarten classes for low-income families. The state has about $111 million to spread around for that purpose each year, said Tonya Russell, director of the division of child care and early childhood education at the state Department of Human Services.