State Program Benefits Duluth Preschool Students

State Program Sends More Kids To Preschool

More than 3,300 4-year-olds in Minnesota will attend preschool this upcoming school year as part of a new, state-funded preschool program.

Duluth students are included in that number, the school district is receiving more than $400,000 dollars.

School officials tell us that money will go to expanding programming, making more classrooms available, and even providing transportation for families to get their kids to preschool.

“The achievement gap starts before age five” said Duluth Schools Superintendent Amy Starzecki. “Our priority is how do we get kids ready for kindergarten, if they come in ready there’s a higher likelihood for being successful.”

In Minnesota, 74 school districts and charter schools received funding to offer preschool.

Nearly 60 percent of the districts that applied for the funding were rejected.