BY: EDUCATION DESK | BocaNewsNow.com
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2023 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Families meeting certain income requirements will soon have the opportunity to enroll in a new preschool option in Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach County School District on Thursday announced an agreement with the Bezos Academy. The school district provided BocaNewsNow.com with the following advisory:
The School Board of the School District of Palm Beach County approved a Facilities Use Agreement with Bezos Academy on August 2, paving the way for a new tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool at Roosevelt Elementary School in West Palm Beach. The approval is the result of collaborative efforts between the District, the City of West Palm Beach, and the Frisbie Group, LLC, a private real estate investment firm based in Palm Beach.
“This innovative academy will give our preschool students a strong start,” Superintendent Mike Burke said. “Bezos Academy at Roosevelt Elementary builds on an essential component of our District’s Strategic Plan, and it gives us the chance to deepen and scale the student-centered approach already in place from pre-K to second grade.”
Designed to support low-income families, the preschool will offer year-round programming, five days a week for children between the ages of 3 and 5. Bezos Academy’s classes are offered at no cost to the District or the families being served. The organization provides everything that children need during the day, including meals, educational materials, and field trips. The preschool will have space for 100 students.
“I am extremely pleased that the School District and Bezos Academy have embarked on this public-private partnership,” said District 7 Board Member Edwin Ferguson, Esq. “I have no doubt that our young scholars will benefit immensely from attending Bezos Academy.”
Nancy Bourne, head of Frisbie Group’s 21st century educational initiatives, led the Frisbie Group’s joint effort, along with the District and the City of West Palm Beach, to bring the Academy to the City.
“Bezos Academy is known for its exceptional educational curriculum that focuses on the whole child and utilizes the power of experiential learning and purposeful play,” Bourne said. “Offering this new, sophisticated preschool education program will help nurture the potential in our children.”
“Bezos Academy will help build high-quality early childhood education for free, to those who need it most, strengthening our partnership with educators and the community,” said Keith James, the Mayor of West Palm Beach.
“Our guiding philosophy of leading with our hearts to do what’s right for the community has propelled the City and the District toward a cooperative effort with Bezos Academy,” said Dave Frisbie, co-founder of Frisbie Group. “We’re pleased we could facilitate a partnership in West Palm Beach that will promote quite a positive change in the coming years.”
“Too many families struggle to find preschool options for their children – either because of the cost, or because of limited availability,” said Mike George, President of Bezos Academy. “Thanks to the efforts of the School District of Palm Beach County, the City of West Palm Beach, and the Frisbie Group, families of West Palm Beach will have access to the incredible benefits that high-quality preschool can provide, at no cost to them or their community.”
The preschool, Bezos Academy West Palm Beach – Roosevelt, will be located at 1220 15th Street in West Palm Beach. The school will feature five classrooms. Renovations are set to begin later this year, and information about the opening date will be shared here.
Families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level with children ages 3-4 are eligible to apply. Once the school opening date is set, more information and an application for the lottery-based selection process will be posted at www.bezosacademy.org.
