Grants totaling $4.725 million will be spread across five school districts in Mississippi to implement new state-invested pre-kindergarten (SIP) programs.
The State Board of Education, which approved the grants, says the purpose of the funding is to support high-quality pre-K programs for 4-year-old children in districts that are not part of the Mississippi Department of Education’s (MDE) Early Learning Collaborative program. Money supporting the addition of SIP programs will be passed out among the following districts over a span of three years:
| GRANT AWARDS FOR STATE-INVESTED PRE-K GRANT PROGRAM | ||||
| District | Year 1 Grant Award | Year 2 Grant Award | Year 3 Grant Award | Total Grant Amount |
| Benton County School District | $200,000 | $200,000 | $200,000 | $600,000 |
| Forrest County School District | $400,000 | $400,000 | $400,000 | $1,200,000 |
| Moss Point School District | $300,000 | $300,000 | $300,000 | $900,000 |
| Neshoba County School District | $300,000 | $300,000 | $300,000 | $900,000 |
| Simpson County School District | $375,000 | $375,000 | $375,000 | $1,125,000 |
| TOTAL | $1,575,000 | $1,575,000 | $1,575,000 | $4,725,000 |
19 SIP programs have been implemented since August 2023, serving 1,820 students in 91 classrooms. The new SIPs will serve up to 300 students in 15 classrooms.
Like early learning collaboratives, the SIP programs will meet all 10 benchmarks established by the National Institute of Early Education Research. These include:
- Early learning standards
- Curriculum support
- Teacher degree
- Teacher specialized training
- Assistant teacher degree
- Staff professional development
- Maximum class size
- Staff-child ratio
- Screenings and referrals
- Continuous quality improvement system
While partnerships with local childcare centers or Head Start grantees are not a condition for receiving these grants, applicants with such collaborations will earn extra points in the evaluation process.
Awarding of the grants each year is contingent upon the successful completion of services, a performance evaluation, and the availability of funds. Additional SIP funding opportunities will be available in the spring of 2025.
