Keota preschool grants

The Keota School District, which has a sharing agreement with the Mid-Prairie District, is one of an additional 150 school districts receiving state grants for the statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for 4-Year-Old Children.
State officials estimate that during the 2010-11 academic year, some 21,354 4-year-olds will be served by the preschool program in 326 school districts across the state. Mid-Prairie was one of the original districts in the program.
This year is the final installment of the Governor’s four year, $60 million commitment to expand the opportunity for Iowa’s young children to access quality preschool environments and enter school ready to learn. The statewide program was established May 10,2007.
The Iowa Department of Education received 146 applications representing 150 districts across the state. The program’s funding will allow the districts to offer at least 10 hours a week of quality preschool education.
Estimated amount of funds for each district is based on approximately 37 percent of their kindergarten enrollment from October 2009. Funding for the first year comes from an appropriation from the state legislature. Selected districts did not need to reapply for the next school year.