$384 million in state money could expand pre-K programs across the region

Pre-K classes soon could be available at more schools throughout Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

Several schools and child care centers from Allegheny and Westmoreland counties were chosen to receive part of more than $384 million Gov. Tom Wolf is aiming at early childhood education in the state.

Among them are the Highlands School District, Allegheny Valley School District, Hempfield Area School District, Pittsburgh Public Schools, Maple Unified Student Academy Inc. (MUSA) in Homestead and the Appleseed Learning Center in Leechburg.

According to administration officials, the money, which also will benefit the state’s Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP), could provide room for almost 3,000 more children to take advantage of the programs. For the Head Start program, the money will address increasing costs to operate, allowing the programs to continue without cuts.

Highlands School District spokesperson Jennifer Goldberg said the district is excited about the funds being provided to help support early childhood education. The district’s pre-K program was referred to as its “best-kept secret.”

“The district will use the funds to build upon the success of our current program by providing opportunities for full-day pre-K programming as well as to engage community partners in providing robust early learning experiences for our children,” she said.

For Allegheny Valley School District, the funds help offset expenses the district has been paying to operate its pre-K program established four years ago. Superintendent Patrick Graczyk said the school has been fortunate enough to be able to create its own pre-K program within its facility and resources.

“We are excited about the grant and very grateful we have been able to provide this to the community without it,” Graczyk said.

In the Hempfield Area School District, pre-K classes are available only at West Hempfield Elementary, but the district hopes to add the classes at the Stanwood and Allen elementary schools, said Kimberlie Rieffannacht, assistant superintendent for elementary education.

“It is very important for young learners to learn the ins and outs of school,” she said. “We are very excited to have these young learners in our classrooms.”

For some, the money will provide additional space and slots for kids to register for their programming.

Pittsburgh Public Schools spokesperson Ebony Pugh said the district is grateful for Wolf’s focus on early childhood education by expanding the pre-K Counts Program. She said the district will be able to support an additional 30 students.

“We can open a brand-new classroom at Pittsburgh Brookline PreK-8 and provide our child care partners with the additional slots they asked for to best serve the children in the City of Pittsburgh,” she said.

After 10 years, the Appleseed Learning Center in Leechburg finally can expand from 20 slots to 40 for kids to register, Director Cherise Rachal said. On average, 15 kids are normally on the wait list, she said.

“We are really excited to provide opportunities for more working parents to participate in a high-quality learning program,” Rachal said. “We are really able to serve more families.”

“This is the first time we have been chosen to participate. It is really exciting to be able to offer pre-K programming to the community,” said Hannah Sitz, executive director of the Maple Unified Student Academy Inc. (MUSA) in Homestead.

Sitz said the money will help the academy continue to offer its programming at a high-quality level, including improving staffing by offering competitive wages and maintaining consistent hours and wraparound services for children and families. She said staffing can be a challenge because of low wages.

“It helps us maintain longevity as an organization,” Sitz said. “We haven’t received grants at this level before. Now we can focus on educational programming.”