Odessa-Montour receives $190K school grant

ODESSA—The Odessa-Montour Central School District received a $190,062 grant from the New York State Education Department to expand the half-day universal pre-kindergarten to full-day this spring semester The school board discussed the grant during the Thursday, Jan. 9, school board meeting. Superintendent Jim Frame said Odessa currently only offers half-day long prekindergarten for 18 students at the district and another two students through the Head Start program. He explained if parents are interested in full-day pre-k services, the grant might also add between 10 and 12 openings at Head Start.
Frame said the district applied for the grant in spring of 2012. Odessa found out it was a recipient, Dec. 18. According to the state education department’s website, the purpose of the Priority Full-day Prekindergarten and Expanded Half-day Pre-kindergarten Grant Program for High Need Students is to increase the availability of high quality pre-kindergarten placements for the highest need children and schools within New York State’s public school districts.
A meeting will be held, Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 6:30 p.m. in the B.C. Cate school cafeteria to gather input from parents about extending pre-k. Frame said letters were mailed out to parents already. He added he expects parents will want full days of pre-kindergarten, but the meeting has to happen before the program is changed. Frame said making pre-k full-day would “enrich the program” by increasing academics.
In other business:
• The board accepted changing the mileage reimbursement rate to 56 cents per mile, effective Jan. 1, 2014, down from 56.5 cents per mile. The decrease reflects the reimbursement change by the Internal Revenue Service.
• The maintenance mechanic position wage was set at $13.50 per hour. The Odessa-Montour board of education will hold a workshop, Thursday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m.