OZARK, Mo. (KY3) — Ozark Public School’s Tiger Paw Preschool is set to expand with the addition of two new classrooms, thanks to $100,000 in grants from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The funding will support the creation of a classroom for three- and four-year-olds and another for four- and five-year-olds. Together, these new classrooms will accommodate up to 40 students.
Dr. Elizabeth Dawson, principal of Tiger Paw Preschool, emphasized the importance of this expansion. “We have a waiting list for our preschool spots, so adding these classrooms will help us offer more high-quality early childhood education to our community,” she said.
The new classrooms aim to provide a strong educational foundation for young students. “These classes are crucial for teaching pre-academic skills and appropriate learning behaviors. Our goal is to prepare students for success as they enter kindergarten,” Dr. Dawson explained.
According to Dr. Dawson, having more students in the preschool program will lead to better-prepared kindergarteners. “Students who attend our Tiger Paw Early Childhood Center will start kindergarten with the skills they need to be successful from day one,” she said.
The preschool has long had a waitlist, but the addition of these new classrooms is expected to reduce it significantly. “We’ve had a waitlist for years,” Dr. Dawson noted. “With these new classes for four- and five-year-olds, we are nearly clearing that list. We still have a significant waitlist for three- and four-year-olds, but we hope to address that in the future.”
The new classrooms at Tiger Paw Preschool will open this fall.