Ozark School District's Tiger Paw secures $100K in grants

The Ozark School District's Tiger Paw Early Childhood Center is expanding its services with grants secured from the state of Missouri.

Tiger Paw, located at 202 N. Fourth Ave. in Ozark, received two $50,000 Preschool Start-Up Grants through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, according to a news release. The funding goes toward the addition of two preschool classrooms this school year.

“I am so pleased to be able to add preschool spots for our community,” Tiger Paw Principal Elizabeth Dawson said in the release. “We have the space in our building, so filling them with students just benefits the Ozark district as a whole and continues our mission of providing high-quality early childhood education.”

Dawson added in the release that the state funding allows Tiger Paw to serve 40 more students. The early childhood center now has three preschool classrooms for 3- and 4-year-olds and a total of six preschool classrooms for 4- and 5-year-olds.

"Our preschool teachers are certified teachers, with the same learning and qualifications as our elementary teachers. This is not true in many school districts," Kent Sappington, executive director of elementary learning for the Ozark School District, said in the release. "Our preschool teachers are top notch and the more students who can experience their teaching, the better.”