Commissioners approve $30,000 grant to expand after-school care at Academia Early Learning Center

The Buchanan Board of Commissioners voted unanimously March 25 to approve a $30,000 business development grant to Academia Early Learning Center to create an after‑school program serving kindergarten through fifth grade.

Alicia Preston, owner and director of Academia Early Learning Center, told commissioners the proposed program would operate out of the children’s wing at Dallas United Methodist Church and could serve up to 25 children. “We already have 28 kids on that wait list,” Preston said, describing demand gathered from a local survey of families in Dallas, Monmouth and Independence.

Preston said the program would be STEM‑based and provide homework support, a healthy snack and supervised outdoor play. She described a typical schedule of Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with full‑day care options during winter and spring break and expanded summer offerings including discounted swimming lessons through a partnership with Dallas Aquatic Center. “We’ve already done the pre‑certification process,” Preston said, adding that the state certifier had confirmed the site could serve the proposed age group.

Why it matters: Preston and…