I am writing in response to the Thursday, March 29, article in the newspaper about the Bright Beginnings preschool being discontinued.

As the director of this program, I would like to make some clarifications. Yes, the board of education made a major reduction in force. This reduction is only because the Bright Beginnings and Early Beginnings programs are funded by the Early Childhood Block Grant through the Illinois State Board of Education. This grant is submitted every year in the spring and then, during the summer, the school district will receive notification as to the amount that will be approved. After the grant has been approved, the staff can then be rehired.

Being a grant program, until the district knows it will receive the grant for the following year, the board must reduce staff just in case the grant doesn’t come through.