A $35,000 grant to the East Heights Early Childhood Family Center from the Ethel and Raymond Rice Foundation will buy the prekindergarten program some more time.

It will allow business to continue as usual for now at the Lawrence school district’s preschool program, which operates almost exclusively on private donations, said principal Cris Anderson.

Anderson said 160 children attended programs at East Heights, 1430 Haskell Ave.

The center has six full-day programs for students, most of whom would be considered at-risk.

“It puts them on the same playing field as some of their peers,” Anderson said.

The Rice Foundation has donated about $329,000 since the East Heights readiness program began 10 years ago.

The funding for the program is administered through the Lawrence Schools Foundation.