Agassi Foundation gets $2.25 million for kids

The Andre Agassi Foundation has gotten a $2.25 million gift to research early childhood education in a state where public funding for pre-kindergarten programs is scarce.

The research funding was donated by David and Jillian Gilmour, who previously contributed money for the kindergarten building at Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a public charter school that receives state funding. David Gilmour is the founder of Fiji Natural Artesian Water and the owner of Fiji resorts.

Public school pre-kindergarten programs are gaining popularity across the country. Eight states now make it available to all 4- and 5-year-olds, according to researchers.

In Nevada, publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs are only available to special education children and at-risk children from low-income backgrounds, said state Superintendent of Schools Keith Rheault.

State-funded pre-kindergarten programs reach about 2 percent of children, Rheault said.

Beth Duncombe, a former administrator for both private and public schools in Las Vegas, is researching early childhood education for Agassi.

She said investments in early childhood education have been proven to produce big returns in reducing dropout and incarceration rates.

"It's front-loading success," Duncombe said.

While the demand is great, Agassi Foundation officials stopped short of committing to opening a pre-kindergarten program at the charter school on West Lake Mead Boulevard, near Martin Luther King Boulevard.

"We're in the research phase right now," said Agassi spokeswoman Sheria Spleen. "Before we do anything we want to make sure we do it right."

Contact reporter James Haug at jhaug@reviewjournal.com or 799-2922.