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Bezos Academy offers free preschool tuition to local Orlando families
Orlando leaders cut the ribbon this morning on an innovative new preschool near Pine Hills. Ability Housing owns the community where the new Bezos academy will soon open its doors. They say it will soon become a lifeline for many Orlando families in need.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando leaders cut the ribbon this morning on an innovative new preschool near Pine Hills. Ability Housing owns the community where the new Bezos academy will soon open its doors. They say it will soon become a lifeline for many Orlando families in need.
"The preschool, it's really important that it's easy to access and close, said Shannon Nazworth from Ability Housing. "When Bezos academy approached us and asked to colocate here, it literally took us less than a second to say yes."
The village on mercy, an affordable apartment complex, was selected by the Bezos academy as the site of its first Florida preschool started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the school will provide free preschool to local children.
Orlando commissioner Regina Hill represents the area and says it will be a big help to many families.
"We have families that are now coming out of homelessness, with jobs paying less than $15 an hour, so this is in the style of education that they're receiving is invaluable, even when you can't put a price on it," said Hill.
The school will provide Montessori-style education for about 40 kids in the local neighborhood and beyond. Bezos academy foots the entire cost of upgrading and renovating this space into the new classrooms.
Families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty limit with children ages 3-4 were eligible to attend the school. Classes begin on March 20.