RSU 12 was one of 13 school districts in Maine awarded a multimillion-dollar Department of Education preschool expansion grant on Dec. 10. A total of $14.8 million in federal funds will go to Maine schools to increase access to preschool education – approximately $3.2 million will go to RSU 12.
“It was surprising and very exciting at the same time,” Howard Tuttle told the RSU 12 Board of Directors at its Dec. 11 meeting at the Chelsea Elementary School. The RSU 12 board voted unanimously to move forward with the grant by developing a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Education.
In October, RSU 12 joined with other school districts to apply for a federal preschool expansion grant. The grant was awarded to only 18 of the 36 states that applied for it. According to a Maine Department of Education press release, Maine’s application received the second highest marks.
“The grand vision here was that if we want universal pre-K for all students, even over-income students, we would need five to six new classrooms,” Tuttle said. It was determined that three of those classrooms could be placed in Somerville and two to three classrooms could open in Chelsea.
RSU 12 worked out a preliminary $3.2 million budget to spend on preschool expansion over the five-year lifespan of the grant. After the grant, RSU 12 would need to fund the program. Tuttle said the preschool expansion would bring 70 more students into the district, which would generate $300,000 in additional revenue to help fund the program.
Grant funds would be doled out on a reimbursement basis, which, Tuttle said, would leave the RSU 12 cash-strapped at times. “It’s not going to stop us from doing something like this,” Tuttle said, “but it’s something to consider.”
Part of the preschool expansion would be done in partnership with Head Start, but not all of it, Tuttle said. RSU 12 would be responsible for busing the approximately 70 additional students. “We haven’t worked out the logistics yet,” Tuttle said, “but we think it’s doable.”
“My hopes and goals for this preschool expansion is that we can create universal preschool programs for all students in RSU 12,” Tuttle told The Lincoln County News. “We feel very fortunate to have won this grant.”
RSU 12 currently has two preschool classes located at the Chelsea Elementary School. The preschools are Head Start collaboratives that are partly funded by Head Start, a federal program, and partly funded by RSU 12.
Tuttle plans to open a third preschool class, unconnected to the grant, at the former Somerville School in approximately a month. The Somerville building is currently undergoing renovations and needs approval from the State Fire Marshal’s Office before it can reopen.
The grant application required that a memorandum of understanding outlining the scope of the work performed with grant funds be developed within 90 days of the grant’s approval. RSU 12 board member and state Sen. Chris Johnson, D-Somerville, made the motion to allow Tuttle to move forward with the memorandum of understanding. The board unanimously approved the motion.
“More to come on this topic,” Hilary Holm, chair of the RSU 12 board, said, “but the door’s been opened.”
