Report: Kentucky Policymakers Unwisely Stop Pre-K Momentum

Despite dismal budgets,

majority of states increase their pre-k budgets,

Kentucky falters

(Washington, DC) – Kentucky, once a national example for successfully making access to quality pre-kindergarten a shared political and budget priority, is now among the minority of states failing to increase pre-k funding, according to "Votes Count: Legislative Action on Pre-K Fiscal Year 2009." The state-by-state analysis, released today by Pre-K Now with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts, suggests that legislators’ shortsighted decisions to retract tobacco settlement financing and "flat fund" the Kentucky Preschool Program will force programs to either reduce access or cut corners on quality.

"Kentucky is one of this year’s big disappointments because it was so close to becoming a national leader on quality pre-k," said Libby Doggett, executive director of Pre-K Now. "For years, the state’s lawmakers have shown great support for programs for young children, but their most recent decision, to filch the children’s trust fund, is a band-aid measure that risks doing far more harm than good."

The report also sheds new light on the impact of America’s economic downturn and the role of business leaders in legislative support for pre-k funding increases. Motivated by concerns about workforce development and dismal high school-graduation rates, business leaders - along with a growing number of parents, educators and school administrators - are helping Republicans and Democrats join forces to advance pre-k as a prudent, evidence-based economic and education reform strategy. In places as far-flung and politically diverse as Alabama, Michigan, Kansas and Virginia, pre-k support is crossing political aisles.

"Today's report reveals that our state is not keeping pace with the national trend to increase pre-k investments, a poor choice knowing that pre-k's long-term savings from lower dropout rates and crime are much more than this year's short-term budget savings," said Kevin Hable, chair of Business Leaders for Pre-K and a member of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. "Quality pre-k helps build the 21st century education system and workforce that Kentucky needs to compete, and we only hold our economy back when we take away what young children need to get ready for school."

"Votes Count" also provides – from the perspective of parents – an analysis of the places families would have the best and worst chances of enrolling their children in a high-quality, state-funded pre-k program; 10 states make the notable lists.

Additional findings include:

Net state investments in pre-k will increase by 6.3 percent to $5.2 billion in FY09, providing an estimated 46,000 families with new access to state-funded pre-k;

The District of Columbia and Louisiana join an elite group of seven states already providing or phasing in pre-k for all children: Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma and West Virginia;

Nine states anticipate increases for pre-k programs funded through their school funding formulas, the most stable source a state can provide; and

Two of the dozen states in the "Pre-K Wilderness" (those without a state-funded pre-k program) took important first steps toward establishing quality programs: Hawaii and Rhode Island.

To view a copy of the report, please visit: www.preknow.org.

SOURCE: Prichard Committee