PASCO, WA – With the conclusion of the 2019 legislative session, Educational Service District 123 received confirmation of a major expansion to our ECEAP Preschool program. ESD 123 has managed the Early Childhood Education & Assistance Program (ECEAP) since 2014. The new award of an additional 152 slots means ESD 123 will be serving more than 500 preschool students across 15 different school districts starting in the 2019-20 school year.

ESD 123’s ECEAP Preschool currently serves children ages 3-5 in Columbia (Burbank), Finley, North Franklin (Mesa and Connell), Pasco, Othello, Touchet, and Waitsburg/Prescott/Dixie School Districts, as well as at two subcontractor sites in Kennewick and Benton City. The 2019 expansion brings services to Moses Lake, College Place, Walla Walla, and Prosser School Districts.

“We have a strong team, full of people with good backgrounds and experience in early learning,” says Matt Bona, ESD 123 Director of Early Learning. “That helps districts feel confident in our work and want to partner with us.”

ECEAP provides free preschool services to qualifying families, as well as nutritious meals and snacks, health screenings, and family support. Families looking to apply for the 2019-20 school year or receive more information are encouraged to contact the ESD 123 ECEAP office at 509.544.5704 or the regional recruiter at 509.637.2312. For more information on the ECEAP preschool expansion, contact Molly Curtiss, Director of Communications, at tiss@esd123.org">mcurtiss@esd123.org or 509.544.5787.

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About ESD 123:  Educational Service District 123, based in Pasco, WA, is one of nine ESDs in Washington. Dedicated to delivering collaborative solutions that promote learning, ESD 123 serves 23 school districts in seven counties of Southeastern Washington. Under Superintendent Darcy Weisner and its board of directors, this legislatively mandated, not-for-profit educational organization provides efficiency of educational systems and equity of learning opportunities for over 70,000 Washington students. For more information about ESD 123, please call 509-544-5700 or 888-547-8441 or visit www.esd123.org.