Pre-Kindergarten Expansion Grants (2021-2026)

Grant Funds from Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan Support Expansion of Public Pre-K

Pre-Kindergarten Expansion Grants (2021-2026)

Grant Funds from Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan Support Expansion of Public Pre-K

The first years of life are a critical developmental time in forming the basis for learning and social interaction. Investments in early learning have powerful long-term paybacks. The pandemic heightened the difficulty that many Maine parents/caregivers already faced in struggling to locate pre-kindergarten or child care. Access gaps are especially acute in Maine’s rural communities. The Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan has committed $10 million dollars to address these access gaps.


Maine’s Department of Education has helped schools increase the number of children accessing high-quality pre-kindergarten by offering funds to establish or expand public pre-k programs. Through multiple competitive grant rounds, the Department has provided funding to local school administrative units to cover facility renovations, staff recruitment and training, and other start-up costs linked to establishing new public pre-kindergarten programs, expanding to additional classrooms, or transitioning from part-day/part-week to full-day/full-week. Priority has been given to schools that partner with community programs such Head Start or child care, provide longer duration of education, and serve socioeconomically disadvantaged students. The Department has and will continue to provide technical assistance and professional learning to school administrative units for prekindergarten expansion.

Pre-K Expansion Grantees by Grant Rounds

Four rounds of grant opportunities were offered to SAUs to start or expand Pre-K in the 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. Grantees for each round can be viewed in the drop-down charts below. The chart indicates the model of each SAU's Pre-K Program, enrollment (actual and projected), community partners, and funding awarded to date.

For any information regarding the Pre-K Expansion Grant please contact Lee Anne Larsen at leeann.larsen@maine.gov

Round 1 Pre-K Expansion Grants Awardees

FY 2022-24 School Year

SAU

Model​

Enrollment​

Partner(s)​

Funding FY 1​

Funding FY 2​

Greenville​

New program, 1​

full day/full week classroom​

8​

​

$114,321.76​

$33,000.00​

St. George​

New program, 1 full day/full week classroom​

17​

​

$187,307.83​

$33,000.00​

Vassalboro​

Existing program, added 1 full day/full week classroom​

12​

​

$61,368.33​

$33,000.00​

Appleton​

New program, 1 full day/full week classroom​

13​

​

$200,750.00​

$33,000.00​

Bangor​

Existing program, added 1 classroom and expanded 2 classrooms to full day/full week​

58​

​

$80,851.00​

$99,000.00​

Yarmouth​

New program, 4 part- day/full week classrooms​

57​

​

$356,550.00​

$66,000.00​

Sanford​

Existing program, added 3 full day/full week classrooms​

66​

​

$261,665.31​

$99,000.00​

RSU 24​

New program, added 4 full day/full week classrooms​

34​

DCP Head Start​

$269,902.00​

No cost extension of CT FY 23-24​

RSU 22​

Existing program, expanded 3 classrooms to full day/full week​

38​

​

$329,081.30​

$99,000.00​

Limestone​

Existing program, expanded 1 classroom to full day/full week​

16​

ACAP Head Start​

$32,946.36​

$33,000.00​
Round 2 Pre-K Expansion Grants Awardees
FY 2023-24 and 2024-25 School Years
Model Projected Enrollment Partner(s)  Funding FY2023-24​   Funding FY2024-25​ 
Existing program, expanding 1 classroom to full day/full week 16    $119,207.43  $152,207.43
Existing program, expanding  2 classrooms from part to full day and adding 2 full day/full week classrooms 80    $249,273.37  $381,273.27
New program, opening 2 full day/full week classrooms 30 Cape Care  $339,798.28  $405,798.28
New program, opening 3 full day/full week classrooms 48    $597,757.12  $696,757.12
Existing program, adding 6 part- day/part week classrooms, 2 in partnership with a private childcare and four in collaboration with CDS 96 Seedlings to Sunflowers  $609,887.86  $675,877.86
New program, 1 full day/full week classroom 16    $72,107.00  $105,107.00
Existing program, expanding 1 classroom from part day/full week to full day/full week 16 ACAP Head Start  $114,429.13  $147,429.13
Adding 1 new full day/full week classroom and 1 part day/full week classroom (2 sessions) 16 ACAP Head Start  $218,021.00  $236,445.69
Existing program, adding 1  full day/full week classroom​ 14​ Aroostook County Action Program   ​  $101,230.00  $101,230.00
Existing program, adding 1 full day/full week classroom​​ 16​​ Kennebec Valley   Community           Action Program ​  $90,201.94  $123,201.94
Existing program, adding 1 full day/full week classroom and 1 special purpose classroom  24 Youth and Family Outreach  $326,847.93  $487,847.93
Existing program, expanding full day/full week seats across 3 community partners​​ 11​​ A Child's World,       Tu Casa Childcare, Southern Maine Children's Academy ​  $95,113.00​​   $110,144.27
Existing program, expanding to full day/full week and adding 1 classroom​ 96​​ ​​  $572.514.00​​   $770,514.00
Existing program, adding 1 full day/full week​ classroom​ 16​​ ​​  $55,205.44​​   $67,655.44
Existing program, adding 4 full day/full week​ classrooms in collaboration with CDS​ 22​​ ​SAD4, SAD46, RSU41​  $166,439.30​​   $232,439.30

 

Round 3 Pre-K Expansion Grants Awardees
FY 2023-24 and 2024-25 School Years
SAU​ Model​ Projected   Enrollment​ Partner(s)​  Funding FY2023-24​   Funding FY2024-25​ 
Brunswick​ Existing program, adding 1full day/full week classroom and expanding 8 seats in existing classrooms​ 24​ Midcoast Maine       Community Action Head Start​  $225,380.00​   $274,880.00
Community Regional Charter School​ Existing program, adding 1 full day/full week classroom​ 16​ ​  $127,600.00​   
MSAD 6​ Existing program, adding 2 full day/full week classrooms and expanding existing classrooms from part week to full week​ 32​ ​  $183,600.45​   $381,600.45
South Portland School Department​ Existing program, adding 1 full day/full week classroom in collaboration with CDS​ 16​ ​  $144,000.00  $130,506.99
Round 4 Pre-K Expansion Grants Awardees
FY 2025-26 School Year
SAU Model Projected Enrollment Partner(s)  Funding 2025-26 
Hancock Existing program, adding 1 full day/full week classroom​ 16    $120,000.00
Lamoine Existing program, adding 1 full day/full week classroom​ 16    $120,000.00
RSU 60 2 classrooms in 3 different locations (6 total), offering full week and full day programming 96 Blueprints Learning Center  $599,812.00