September 13, 2024 |City of Lynn, Education, Lynn Public Schools, News

Federal funding fuels preschool expansion in Lynn

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The City will celebrate on Friday the addition of eight preschool classrooms in converted office space at the school administration building on Bennett Street.

Editor’s note: We will be recording this event and will update this article when it is available.

Lynn received $1.65 million in federal funding for the preschool expansion, which includes approximately 100 seats, a cafeteria and outdoor play space. There are 50 percent more preschool seats in the City than two years ago. Lynn Public Schools also converted a large number of seats from half-day to full-day. In 2023-24, there were 336 half-day and 171 full-day seats. This year there are 186 half-day and 440 full-day seats for children ages 3-5 – a 157-percent increase in full-day seats.

The funding the City received was part of more than $7.2 in federal earmarks for community-based projects on the North Shore. Lynn also received $220,000 for traffic signal improvements on the Lewis and Broad streets corridor.

Earlier this week, the City celebrated receiving a $9.6 million federal grant through the Safe Streets for All program to make improvements to roadways and dangerous intersections.

“We continue to appreciate the partnership with our representatives in Washington, who are delivering significant funding for critical projects,” said Mayor Jared C. Nicholson. “We understand how important it is to continue to expand access to Pre-K to meet the needs of the families in the city.”

Space at Bennett Street became available when in May nine LPS departments moved from the first floor of the school administration building to the upper floors of the city-owned Senior Center on Friend Street, allowing for the construction of the new preschool classrooms on Bennett Street.

Getting the Bennett Street space ready for the beginning of the school year required an accelerated construction timeline and collaboration among Lynn Public Schools, Inspectional Services Department, City Hall and contractor Dandreo Brothers, according to Jacqueline Gallo, Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction Early Childhood for LPS.

“The expansion of pre-K programs is consistent with our vision for 21st century learning and equity in action. We are increasing learning time and providing services that families really need.”

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Evonne Alvarez

“Giving our kids high-quality early learning opportunities puts them on track to fulfill their potential. It’s a win-win for Lynn teachers and families, who will have more resources and see better educational outcomes in the long-run,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said.

In addition to the new preschool classrooms at Bennett Street, there will be three new classrooms on the bottom floor of Cobbet Elementary School, in space formerly used by the Inspectional Services Department.

LPS has 13 preschool sites, including a total of 12 classrooms at partner organizations Lynn Economic Opportunity (LEO) Head Start, Demakes Family YMCA, and Gregg Neighborhood House. At those sites, funded through a Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative grant, the lead teacher is from the partner organization, with LPS providing instructional coaching and special education services including speech and occupational therapy, according to Gallo.

Preschool classes range from students who are all on an individualized education plan to integrated classrooms with students on an IEP and regular-education students.

The above press release was submitted to us by Mayor Nicholson’s office.