Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Early Childhood Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clark Public Schools wins five-year state grant to expand universal preschool
Summary
The New Jersey Department of Education approved Clark Public Schools' application for Universal Preschool funding, a five-year award (2025–2030) that will fund preschool for three- and four-year-olds; the district said rollout details will be released in the coming weeks.
The New Jersey Department of Education has approved Clark Public Schools' application for Universal Preschool funding, Superintendent Mr Grande announced at the board's public meeting.
"We received notification from the New Jersey Department of Education this afternoon that our application for Universal preschool funding has been approved," Mr Grande said, adding that the district had just received formal notice and would share implementation details with the community as they become available.
Board members described the award as the culmination of years of local planning. Mr Lewis said the district had pursued expanded early childhood services for years and framed the award as a major step forward: "This program is off the charts — it's a 5-year Grant from 2025 to 2030 for three year olds and four year olds," he said, praising staff and volunteers who worked on the application.
Board members credited past efforts to sustain full-day kindergarten since 2009 and noted the new funding will bring certified teachers and district-run preschool options that could reduce the cost burden of early childhood care for families. Mr Smor recalled that the district once eliminated its preschool program for budget reasons and said persistent advocacy and relationship-building helped restore preschool services.
District officials said specific program details — including enrollment procedures, locations, staffing plans and the timetable for rollout — were not yet final. The superintendent asked for patience while the district gathers the grant's administrative details and said those will be “pushed out to the community in every possible way” once available.
The announcement drew sustained applause from the board and public. The next formal step reported at the meeting is internal planning and public outreach to explain how the grant funds will be used to expand preschool services.
Provenance: The announcement and discussion appear in the board meeting transcript beginning at SEG 073 and continuing through SEG 180.
