The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education received some bad news Wednesday.
Its application for a $17.5 million grant to boost the number of children in state-funded early childhood education programs was turned down by the U.S. Department of Education.
The grants were announced in conjunction with a Dec. 10 White House summit on early childhood development. Eighteen states will share $226 million in federal grants to either develop state pre-kindergarten programs or expand existing programs.
According to the White House, 36 states applied for the grant money. It did not specify why Missouri's application was turned down.
"We are very disappointed that this federal grant will not go towards helping Missouri children prepare for kindergarten with high-quality leader opportunities," Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro said in a statement.
"We are committed to expanding preschool access for out children to ensure a strong start in life."
Missouri could use the money. It ranks 39th in state spending on early childhood development, according to an annual survey by Rutgers University.
Kansas is ranked 38th, but Gov. Sam Brownback decided not to apply for one of the grants, saying he thought the Legislature should be involved in the decision. Lawmakers don’t reconvene until January, so Kansas missed the deadline.
