Those curious about the $2 million appropriation for a “Centralia-Chehalis Early Learning Conversion Project” in the 2019-2021 state capital budget proposed by the House Capital Budget Committee won’t find many clues about it in the budget document or other resources.
The funding model submitted with the proposal requires the project take place within an existing school building. Centralia City Councilor Peter Abbarno has been part of early talks among stakeholders and noted the potential for a private school to become a partner along with the public bodies.
“I think the possibilities to expand just on early learning can really transform the community,” Abbarno said. “It would be an amazing economic development boost to allow working families and single parents to advance their careers, go to school and get job-related training. I think once we find a location, building the partnerships to make it a reality is going to go pretty quickly.”
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