Harford County Public Schools will add 160 new spots for pre-kindergarten students after receiving a $2.3 million grant from the Maryland State Pre-K Expansion Grant Program.

The county will have about 960 pre-K students next school year in 48 classrooms, and pre-K will only be offered as a full-day program. Some pre-K classrooms offered only half-day programs in the past.

““With this grant, we will be able to significantly expand upon opportunities for Harford County’s littlest learners, while meeting the requirements set forth in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future in a time of tightening local budgets,” Superintendent Sean Bulson said in a news release.

Before now only three schools offered half-day pre-K programs, according to Kathy Griffin, coordinator of Early Childhood Programs for HCPS. All will be converted to full-day programs, providing students the foundation and experience needed to prepare them for kindergarten, she said.

Griffin said the grant will fund 20 new positions, including teachers, special education specialists, special education teachers and paraeducators. The hiring process for those positions is happening now, with a deadline to fill all positions by July 1.

About 85 special needs students have applied and been placed in a pre-K program thus far, Griffin said, so having the special education staff onboard will be beneficial, she said.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is a statewide public school reform plan, and outlines a substantial increase in funding to expand pre-K education for children ages 3 and 4.

Families who want to enroll a child in a pre-K program may do so at any time, Griffin said. The application process is digital and never closes. More information can be found at https://www.hcps.org/parents/preKRegistration.aspx.

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