Nome Public Schools has a new option for saving the local preschool without having to tap into city coffers. At a school board meeting Monday night, Superintendent Shawn Arnold announced that despite budget cuts, the state will fund early childhood education for a select group of Alaska school districts.
Arnold said Nome Public Schools is eligible for the three-year grant worth $6 million. But the funding would also require the district to find a long-term solution — one that doesn’t rely on Pre-K money from the Alaska Department of Education.
“We’ll get it, but we also have to have plans with the state,” said Arnold. “Detailed plans answering: ‘How are we going to sustain it?’”
While the district works on its grant application, which is due July 1, Arnold said he’ll explore possibilities for more permanent funding. That might include developing a trust, seeking donations from corporations, or building partnerships with community organizations like Kawerak. If Nome does win the grant, the state will notify the district by mid-July.
