PED Awards $2,580,037 for Early Childhood Education Programs

(Santa Fe, NM)--The New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) announced today that 14 grantees will receive $2,580,037 for Early Childhood Education Programs in Programs in Fiscal Year (FY) 2005. These grants will provide children ages four to eight and their parents in the New Mexico Works/Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) high quality early childhood education to increase school readiness for four year olds and before and after-school (five to eight year olds) care programs focusing on improving reading and math literacy. Both of these programs also provide parent education.

The New Mexico Works Act and PED administrative funds fund the program. Funded programs will serve 2,652 children at seventy-one sites around the state through June 30, 2005. The grantees and the amounts awarded are as follows:
Four-Year Olds-School Readiness
Albuquerque Public Schools $385,164
Bernalillo Public Schools $150,000
Grants Cibola County Schools $180,000
Peñasco Independent School District $66,403

Four-Year Olds-School Readiness & Five to Eight-Year Olds –Before and After School Care
West Las Vegas Schools $203,172

Five to Eight-Year Olds-Before and After School Care
Albuquerque Public Schools -La Mesa & Emerson Elementary Schools $178,688
Albuquerque Public Schools & Rio Grande Educational Cooperative $132,127
Bernalillo Public Schools $150,000
Espanola Public Schools $104,615
Grants Cibola County Schools $200,000
Socorro Consolidated Schools $72,000
Las Cruces Public Schools $57,868
Los Lunas Public Schools-Middle Rio Grande $500,000
Taos Municipal Schools $200,000

Secretary, Dr. Veronica C. García said, “These awards demonstrate PED’s commitment to developmentally appropriate, high quality early childhood education for all of New Mexico’s children and their families.”