Preschools, USD 257 seek grant

Iola schools and preschools plan to team up to write a grant that would sustain childcare, likely by offering some type of benefit for employees.

July 16, 2024 - 1:58 PM

Megan McKarnin, owner of Munchkinland and More daycare and preschool, left, and Kandy Rushing, owner of Grow at Eden, listen to a discussion about a grant during Monday’s school board meeting. Photo by Vickie Moss / Iola Register

Iola schools and preschools hope to find new ways to join forces. USD 257 and the owners of local daycares Grow at Eden and Munchkinland and More will apply for a $175,000 grant from the Patterson Family Foundation.

Exactly what that partnership will look like is still being evaluated, said Jenna Higginbotham, preschool coordinator for the school district. She attended Monday’s school board meeting along with Grow at Eden owner Kandy Rushing and Munchkinland owner Megan McKarnin to seek the board’s blessing to apply for the grant.

The goal is to find a…

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