30 Ways in 30 Days: Pre-K Counts

Pre-K Cuts Would Hurt Educational Opportunities of At-Risk Kids

Thousands of children statewide would be denied entrance into school district pre-kindergarten programs if a 50% reduction in prekindergarten funds is enacted.
 
HARRISBURG (June 23, 2009) - Retired military officers may not spring to mind as your typical advocates for early-childhood education. But several gathered in the state Capitol earlier this month to urge lawmakers to increase funding for prekindergarten programs geared toward students at risk of failing school.
 
The retired officers said programs like Pennsylvania's Pre-K Counts help children stay in school and avoid a life of crime, according to a report in The Patriot-News of Harrisburg. The payoff is down the line when more young adults are eligible for military service.
 
Nearly 11,800 children are enrolled in Pre-K Counts. Under Senate Bill 850, a Senate-passed budget plan, funding for Pre-K Counts would be slashed in half, from $86.4 million this year to $43.2 million. Governor Ed Rendell proposed an $8.6 million increase in funding, allowing the state to add more than 1,000 kids to the program.
 
The Senate proposal prompted the Patriot-News to editorialize recently: "This is a mistake and will only serve to harm the future educational capacity of our low-income and special needs children. ...
 
"Pennsylvania needs to think about the work force - and soldiers - of tomorrow. This is our state's future."
 
Read the full editorial here.

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