West Hartford to Receive State Funding for Preschool Expansion

West Hartford will receive $293,350 in state funding to expand its preschool program by four classrooms and 60 students as part of the state’s Smart Start initiative.

West Hartford was one of 14 communities in the state to receive Smart Start funding.

The state is awarding more than $3.5 million this year for Smart Start, which was signed into law in 2014 with the intent of expanding preschool in public school settings. This is the first year of the 10-year initiative.

A total of $1,587,055 for capital improvements will be considered at an upcoming meeting of the State Bond Commission, in addition to $2,088,350 for operational expenses from the Tobacco Settlement fund.

West Hartford will receive the $293,350 from the tobacco settlement fund.

“We must ensure that children are equipped with the tools they need to succeed in life – regardless of income or zip code,” Governor Malloy Dannel P. Malloy said in a press release. “Expanding the availability of preschool options in our state will prepare them for college and careers in a global, 21st Century economy.”

Communities applying for capital improvements are expected to go before the State Bond Commission in April with funding anticipated to be available in May. Operational expenses for classrooms beginning in September will be available in July.

“One of the reasons I helped develop Connecticut’s Smart Start initiative was to have the state partner with communities in order to provide high-quality, accredited pre-school classes for children,” said State Senator Beth Bye (D-West Hartford), who was an outspoken advocate of last year’s Smart Start legislation. “The end result is that as of today, hundreds of parents and kids in more than a dozen cities and towns across Connecticut are going to have brand new access to high-quality, NAEYC-accredited pre-K programs.”

Read more about the Smart Start initiative from the press release below:

Smart Start was signed into law by Governor Malloy in 2014 with the intent of expanding preschool in public school settings. In order to be eligible for Smart Start funding, districts need to demonstrate an unmet need for preschool in their communities. In addition, Smart Start preschool classrooms must provide high-quality early education including a minimum of school-day and school-year programming; hold accreditation and be in good standing with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), be approved and/or in good standing with the federal Head Start program, have documentation that they are in the process of obtaining accreditation from NAEYC or have a plan to ensure that the program will be accredited within three years of receiving funding through Smart Start; classroom sizes do not exceed 18 children; and priority enrollment for children from low-income families, children with special needs and children who are dual language learners receive priority enrollment.

Up to $100 million in bonding for capital improvements will be available over a ten-year period, with a maximum of $10 million per year. Funding for public preschool classrooms will begin in FY16 with $100 million in operating funding available over a ten-year period (maximum $10 million per year) from the Tobacco Settlement Fund.