New London ― A last-minute infusion of emergency federal pandemic funding approved for use by the General Assembly last week is expected to help keep the school district’s preschool program running for another year.

State legislators on Wednesday approved funneling $360 million in unspent American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, COVID-relief monies to a host of education, social service and municipal aid recipients.

In that package, $2 million is earmarked for the Early Childhood Center at B.P. Mission, which currently serves 85 pre-K students ages 3 and 4. Board of Education President Elaine Maynard-Adams said the funding, which has not yet been approved for use by Gov. Ned Lamont, will cover the bulk of the $2.5 million cost of operating and staffing the program for another school year.

The board earlier this year approved an $83.2 million 2024-25 budget proposal that required $50.8 million in funding from the city ― a $4.5 million jump from the current year. That plan, which included $2.5 million for pre-K operations, was trimmed to $46.85 under Mayor Michael Passero’s spending proposal, which was later increased by the City Council to $47.86 million.

The school budget plan, along with a $57.13 million general government proposal, is scheduled for a final vote by the council on Monday. The school budget is funded by a combination of city, state, federal and grant funding.

Passero said he doesn’t expect the incoming ARPA money to affect the school budget proposal’s bottom-line amount but will instead reduce the amount needed to be raised by New London taxpayers.

“So instead of $4.5 million needed to be raised by residents, it would be closer to $2.5 million,” Passero said, basing that figure on a $2 million figure he said was required to run the pre-K program.

Maynard-Adams conceded it would be irresponsible to count on subsequent state bailouts to sustain the district’s preschool programming.

“We’ll be looking for alternate funding and grants going forward,” she said. “But that $2 million this year does take the pressure off.”

Maynard-Adams credited state Sen. Martha Marx, D-New London, along with other members of the city’s legislative delegation, state Reps. Anthony Nolan, D-New London, and Christine Conley, D-Groton, with shepherding the funding allocation through.

The preschool program for the last several years has been largely funded with federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, or ESSER, money. But that federal pandemic relief money expires this year, leaving the school district responsible for covering the bills.

Marx said she was alerted to the district’s impending funding crunch during a February visit to the Shaw Street preschool facility with Beth Bye, commissioner of the state’s Office of Early Childhood.

“We all know early education is so important for kids’ future success,” Marx said on Monday. “Every time I walked by my colleagues discussing the budget I’d say, ‘Two million for New London and B.P.’ This money lets us take a deep breath and look at other funding options, like school readiness grants, moving ahead.”

j.penney@theday.com