Evesham district gets largest grant in state round of preschool funding; full-day preschool in January.

The Evesham Township School District recently received a $3,220,662 grant — the largest among all 18 New Jersey districts that got grants in this round of funding — that will allow the district to move towards its goal of full-day preschool by the 2028-29 school year.

70and73.com has previously reported how the district, citing financial challenges and amid concerns from parents, closed its previous preschool program known as Teddy Bear Academy at the end of the 2023-24 school year. 

The new grant allows the current preschool program at Rice Elementary School to switch from half-day to full day on January 2, 2025, according to the district’s website. Two local private providers with one preschool classroom each and with a limited number of spaces for preschool-aged children should also be available by the January date, according to the district's website.

Later this year, the district will disclose how interested parents can apply for a space at the local private providers and will also share more details about a lottery system that will accept an increasing, predetermined number of students annually during the next five years.

State leaders said grants were provided to schools that showed a willingness to offer a full-day preschool program that has a certificated teacher and an aide on its staff, a curriculum that runs parallel to the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards and small classes with children who have special needs and an individualized education plan. 

The grants to the Evesham Township School District and 17 other New Jersey school districts totaled nearly $20 million and "provides the youngest learners with a solid foundation for success," Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement.

"The rapid expansion of preschool programs throughout New Jersey has been nothing short of extraordinary," stated Acting Commissioner of Education Kevin Dehmer.

The districts getting grants are: