Arizona receives federal grant to expand preschool access for children

PHOENIX  — The U.S. Department of Education is awarding Arizona with $20 million to help the state enroll children in high-quality preschools.

It’s the third year of a four-year nationwide preschool development grant program. Arizona has received $20 million from the U.S. Department of Education each of those years to expand preschool access, especially in areas where there is a high need.

“We’ve seen a lot of the students served in areas that have high populations of English-language learners [and] high populations of students who are living in higher poverty areas,” said Charles Tack, Director of Communications for the Arizona Department of Education.

Tack said in 2015, over 2,300 children in the state gained access to high-quality preschool, thanks to the grant program. A new progress report released by the U.S. Department of Education said the state has made significant progress to expand preschool access.

“[The funding is] helping to open more programs and improve the quality of programs so that more students have access to that high-quality, preschool education,” Tack said.

Tack said the department will continue to expand preschool access to those in need, with the ultimate goal of making preschool accessible to all Arizona children.