LaFAYETTE – A new pre-kindergarten class is headed to Huguley Elementary School, according to Chambers County School District Superintendent Dr. Kelli Hodge on Monday.

“We were informed by the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education that our grant application for funding through the Office of School Readiness had been approved,” Hodge said in a news release from the district. “The amount of the grant totals $120,000 for the first year, which includes funding for equipment, furniture, and other materials, as well as teacher salaries.”

According to the news release, to be considered for the grant, the school system had to demonstrate a need for additional pre-K education by showing that a minimum number of students would be served consistently over a multi-year period.

“For the past several years, we’ve been averaging 20 or more students on a waiting list after our random selection drawing is conducted to fill our available slots,” Hodge said in the news release. “Therefore, I knew we could demonstrate the need. When I heard additional funding would likely be available this year, I submitted our application on Aug. 29. As a result, we were one of only a handful of school systems in Alabama to be approved.”

Huguley Elementary currently has three other pre-K classes, and one at Bob Harding-Shawmut Elementary, funded under the same grant. Each class receives $100,008 annually.

“Our other pre-K classes at Fairfax and Eastside elementary schools are funded through federal Title I money,” Hodge said. “With the additional class at Huguley, we will be serving a total of 140 four-year-olds in Chambers County.”

The news release said a condition of the grant requires the new classroom to be up and ready by Oct. 15.

The first 18 parents who are presently on a waiting list will be contacted for completing their children’s enrollment.