MEDIA REPORTS

State Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, met with educators and law enforcement officials at St. Paul’s Christian Preschool and Childcare in downtown State College on Monday to discuss the infusion of funds and recognize the school’s new pre-K classroom and students.

Pre-kindergarten class looks like fun. There’s singing, dancing and playing. But there’s a learning goal behind most every activity, and York City school officials believe it pays off — and they’re hoping to see evidence of that in third grade classrooms in a few years.

Great Expectations Child Care and Early Learning Center in Blairsville is one of the latest education centers to expand its number of subsidized pre-kindergarten slots. On March 1, Great Expectations learned it would gain another 17 Pre-K Counts-funded slots, on top of the existing 17, according to Madeline Savage, director.

Great Expectations Child Care and Early Learning Center in Blairsville is one of the latest education centers to expand its number of subsidized pre-kindergarten slots.

State, county and local officials stressed the importance of pre-kindergarten education and celebrated the opening of a second pre-k classroom in the Mid Valley Elementary Center during a roundtable Tuesday.

As a result, Chester County received an additional $707,225 to provide spaces for 205 more children.
The allocation includes $170,000 to add 20 spots in pre-K programs in Warwick Child Care programs in North Coventry and East Coventry townships.

Chester County Pre-K got a boost in a big way Friday with $700,000 in new state funding and the attention of crime-fighting officials praising the value of early education.

For many families, there aren’t enough pre-K slots in their communities, and they can’t afford to look into private education. Because access to high quality early learning experiences is so dependent on income, Ciminillo said it can exacerbate disparities created by economic inequality.