The Maryland State Department of Education is pleased to announce applications for private providers who seek to participate in the Maryland State Prekindergarten Program, a new Blueprint for Maryland’s Future initiative.
Donor Name: Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)
State: Maryland
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/13/2023
Size of the Grant: $400,000
Grant Duration: 1 year
Details:
The Maryland State Prekindergarten Grant is a competitive grant program administered by the Division of Early Childhood at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). It provides funding for private providers to administer high-quality prekindergarten and school readiness services throughout the State for children and their families in coordination with the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.
Purpose
Broaden availability and expand access to high-quality prekindergarten educational programming and school readiness services for three- year-old and four-year-old students from families with household incomes up to 300% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and students experiencing homelessness regardless of income.
Funding Information
- Based on eligible enrollment – $11,594 per student. The funding for the private provider portion of the Maryland State Prekindergarten Grant Program is associated with State prekindergarten enrollment from the previous fiscal year. The total amount of funding available for the private provider portion of the State Prekindergarten Grant programs in a given year is based on the total Prekindergarten State aid for that year minus the formula funds for local education agency programs in that same year – based on the local education agencies’ Pre-K enrollment from the previous year.
- Grant Amount: $400,000 (estimated average grant amount)
- Grant Period: July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024
Uses of fund
- Salaries, wages, and fringe benefits for teaching staff. State certified teachers must be compensated commensurate with at least the minimum entry salary of the LEA in which the program is located.
- Equipment, materials, and supplies (e.g., classroom furniture, instructional materials including MSDE approved curriculum resources to support the Maryland Early Learning Standards, book supplies for family literacy or math activities).
- Reasonable rental costs are allowable and should be reviewed periodically. Contact the prekindergarten grant program contact for this grant program for specific conditions and requirements if property rental costs are included in the budget narrative.
- Technology costs (may not exceed 10% of the total fund request).
- Costs associated with maintaining Maryland or national accreditation status, or Maryland EXCELS rating.
- Costs for contracts to administer screening and intervention services for prekindergarten students.
- Costs associated with evaluation and monitoring of the project (may not exceed 5% of the total fund request).
- Indirect costs (may not exceed 10% of the total fund request).
- Costs for at least one meal per day for students.
- Costs for academic field trips.
- Costs associated with the provision of staff and professional learning activities to support recertification of qualified teaching staff.
Eligibility Criteria
This funding opportunity is designed for those non-local education agency providers who deliver prekindergarten services and participate in Maryland EXCELS, including:
- Qualified vendors and private providers who:
- hold a valid license;
- have not incurred any serious health or safety violations; and
- Head Start programs.
- Priority will be given to programs with the following Maryland EXCELS ratings (in order of priority):
- Published at Level 5 with a plan to maintain this level;
- Publish at level 4 with a plan to publish at Level 5 by the end of the grant period (if you fall into this, criterion, you must include a plan to reach level 5 as part of your application); or
- Published at Level 3 with a plan approved by MSDE to achieve Level 5 within five years (if you fall into this criterion, you must include a plan to reach level 5 as part of your application).
- Priority will be given to high-quality programs that:
- are seeking renewal or expansion of existing programs with a demonstrable track record of success;
- are in areas of the state that have an unmet need for prekindergarten services; or
- include parental/guardian engagement and educational activities beyond the classroom.
For more information, visit MSDE.
