Stimulating Pre-K Funding in Mississippi

Spending for preschool programs nationwide is up and so is enrollment. But as MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports Mississippi is one of the few states that hasn't funded schools for kids four and under.

The National Institute for Early Education Research reports that Mississippi is way behind when it comes to educating pre-schoolers. Education Secretary Arne Duncan stressed the importance of preschool which has proven to cut dropout rates and improve health.
“If our children hit kindergarten ready to read and ready to learn and their socialization skills intact and their literacy skills in tact they are going to go on to do great things. When our children hit kindergarten and don’t know the front of the book from the back of the book that’s very very tough on that kindergarten teacher those children are very very behind from the start.”

There are five billion dollars for early education included in the economic stimulus package. Still early education advocates worry the recession will force states to cut back on enrollment. And even though Mississippi does not have a mandatory pre-k program, House Education Chairman Cecil Brown believes certain provisions may still make the state eligible for the funds. His concern however is that the stimulus money is only a one time deal.
“So you’d have enough money maybe to start a program on it two or three years and then there might be some requirement that you continue that work with either local funds or with state funds. And that’s gonna be an issue because we don’t have the money to do that. So we’ve gotta find out the rules. I’d like to see us go on and start to plan so that however long it takes we have a state wide pre-school program in place.”
Brown's bill to require the state to set up a study group to develop a long rang pre-k funding plan was recently defeated in the house. For MPB news, I'm Lawayne Childrey.