Forty-two MREA member districts will receive funding for the new Voluntary Pre-K starting this fall. Another 70 MREA member districts applied for funding approved last session by the Legislature and were not sufficiently eligible to receive funding
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In all, this program will provide 3,302 Minnesota four-year olds access to free, voluntary pre-kindergarten. The 2016 Legislature reserved 41 percent of the $25 million in funding for Greater Minnesota school districts. View the interactive map of funded and applicant districts. The school districts highlighted in red received funding; those in orange applied and did not receive funding and those in light yellow did not apply.
Two-thirds of all applying school districts were MREA members as well as two-thirds of the funded districts.
Whether you are a funded district, an unfunded applicant district, or chose not to apply, please plan to attend an MREA Fall Platform meeting to weigh in on the value of the Voluntary Pre-K funding and eligibility rules.
The districts that applied and did receive funding include 6,837 students. What this does not count are the districts that are interested, but felt they would not be funded due to their FRE percentage and did not fill out the application.
Voluntary Pre-K is expected to be on the Governor’s wish list for the 2017 legislative session. Please register for a MREA Area Meeting near you and participate in a statewide conversation on Voluntary Pre-K and other Pre-K models such as School Readiness, ECFE, and Scholarships.
View an alphabetical listing of funded and applicant districts and the Governor’s news release