FLORENCE, Ala — The W.C. Handy School is one of five sites in Alabama to be awarded a grant to expand its early childhood education opportunities.
Florence City Schools said as an active participant in the First Class Foundation Preschool Program, W.C. Handy School will be adding four classroom units to the campus. The newest students will range in age from six weeks to three years old. This expansion is made possible by the state’s renewal of the Preschool Development Grant, Birth-Five (PDG B-5) through the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education.
The PDG B-5 grant has been awarded to just five sites in the state of Alabama. The three-year grant, worth over $1.2 million, will allow Florence City Schools to add classrooms for children six weeks to 12 months, 12 months to 30 months, and 30months to 48 months. Each classroom will have an early childhood education teacher, an auxiliary teacher, and a floating auxiliary teacher.
“Statistics show 80% of a child’s brain is formed by age three, and 90% developed by age five,” explained W.C. Handy School Principal Michael South. “So, the PDG B-5grant will allow us to reach young children during their most formative years. This is something we are very excited about.”
Florence City Schools will have the PDG B-5 program ready to begin at the start of the 2020-2021 school year in August. Participation in the new early childhood education program at W.C. Handy School will have a tuition cost. Before and after-school care will also be available.
Parents who are interested in the program can register by visiting the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education website at https://alb3f.asapconnected.com/ or at www.florencek12.org/register.