Bellevue to use Learning Community grant for full‑day preschool, behavior supports and bilingual services

Bellevue Public Schools officials described a Learning Community 2.0 grant allocation the district will use to expand early‑childhood services, including full‑day preschool at Betts and Central elementary schools, new behavior‑support staffing and an additional bilingual family literacy liaison.

District staff told the board the Learning Community allocation for Bellevue includes a five‑year component the presenter identified as $327,000 and said the district’s total Learning Community funding for the package will be “almost $500,000.” The presenter described the 2.0 initiative as providing funds in several categories and noted the award flows through the Learning Community process rather than the district building a separate centralized facility.

Program details provided to the board: - Full‑day preschool at Betts and Central elementary: Each site would serve approximately 20–24 children from the school’s attendance area (districtwide preschools were previously half‑day). District staff said the program will add classroom time, include an early‑literacy component and a social‑emotional curriculum. To serve more children in a full‑day program, classrooms will increase staffing to three paraprofessionals per classroom and provide a stipend to the teacher for the expanded schedule. - Behavior supports: The district plans to hire a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) to oversee registered behavior technicians (RBTs). The district will train existing paraprofessionals as RBTs, increase their pay and have the BCBA provide oversight and training. The stated goal is to intervene early in preschool and kindergarten so fewer students require higher‑level placements outside district schools. - Bilingual family literacy liaison: The allocation would fund an additional bilingual family literacy liaison focused on Spanish‑speaking families at the elementary level; the district emphasized the entire initiative targets birth through third grade.

Board members asked clarifying questions during the presentation about allocation size, duration and staffing. In response, the presenter said the $327,000 figure covers a five‑year portion of the allocation; the district also described a five‑year era for funding in conversation. The presenter said the Learning Community allocations are based in part on free‑and‑reduced‑price enrollment and other formula factors used by the Learning Community and that some smaller districts received flat $100,000 allocations while larger districts were capped at higher amounts (the presenter cited an example of a $350,000 cap for a larger district).

Transcript inconsistencies and figures: the presenter described a pay increase for paraprofessionals in two different ways during the discussion. At one point the transcript quotes an increase "by up to $20"; elsewhere the presenter described raising pay by "about $4 an hour." The article notes both figures as presented and records that the board discussion did not resolve the discrepancy during the meeting. The presenter also said the $327,000 amount breaks down across five years but did not provide an exact per‑year figure in the meeting transcript.

There was no recorded vote in the transcript to accept the grant at the time of the presentation; district staff said the Learning Community approved the district proposal promptly during the process described in the presentation.

Clarifying details extracted from the presentation: - Learning Community allocation to Bellevue: presenter stated "$327,000" for a five‑year portion and said the district’s total Learning Community funding for items discussed is "almost $500,000" (figures as reported verbally in the meeting). Exact annual breakdowns were not specified in the transcript. - Full‑day preschool: two sites (Betts and Central), 20–24 students per site, targeted to children in each attendance area (no cross‑attendance), additional classroom staff (three paraprofessionals per classroom) and teacher stipends. - Behavior supports: plan to hire one BCBA, train existing paraprofessionals as RBTs, and increase paraprofessional pay (transcript contains inconsistent reporting of the pay increase: "up to $20" vs. "about $4 an hour"). - Bilingual liaison: one additional bilingual family literacy liaison focused on Spanish‑speaking elementary families; services limited to birth through third grade.

Speakers recorded in the Learning Community presentation included a district presenter identified in the transcript as Dr. Kinston (presenting the grant report) and board questions from members (including a speaker identified as "Matt" who asked about BCBA credentials). The presentation described prior investments: a prior Learning Community initiative that funded School as a Hub at Bel Air Elementary and noted that the current 2.0 allocation continues early‑childhood efforts.

The board took no further action during public session on these specific grant spending items in the transcript that was provided; staff listed follow‑up implementation tasks and budget details will be finalized in administrative documents.