Governors Protecting Pre-Kindergarten Programs Amid Budget Squeeze

In spite of widespread fiscal distress in states, FY11 budget proposals from the nation's governors and the mayor of the District of Columbia keep overall state funding for pre-kindergarten near the previous year's levels. Should all the governors' budgets pass, state pre-k investments would remain at $5.3 billion, increasing by less than 0.2 percent, or slightly more than $8.2 million, according to a new report by Pre-K Now, a campaign of the Pew Center on the States.

Leadership Matters: Governors' Pre-K Budget Proposals Fiscal Year 2011 finds that access to state-funded high-quality pre-k remains largely dependent on where children live, with gubernatorial proposals ranging widely from significant expansion in Alabama to elimination in Arizona.

Highlights from this year's report include:
- Nine governors would increase pre-k investments. These proposals would increase funding for early learning in these states by a total of $78.5 million.
- Three states and the District of Columbia anticipate an increase for pre-k through their school funding formulas.
- Ten governors are proposing to flat fund pre-k. These proposals maintain funding for early learning at FY10 levels and include Alaska and Rhode Island, which both started new programs in FY10.
- Twelve governors are proposing to decrease pre-k funding. In these states, early learning investments would decline by a total of $100.6 million.
- Ten states provide no state-funded pre-k.

Pre-K Now's annual report evaluates budget proposals for the coming school year and documents governors' remarks in recent state of the state addresses to determine which leaders count voluntary, high-quality pre-k among their top education reform and economic development strategies.

Pre-k played a prominent role in applications from 12 of the 16 states selected as Phase 1 finalists for Race to the Top competitive grants to promote school reform, and the report explores these and other creative state strategies to support early education using federal resources from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Research shows children who complete quality pre-k programs enter school more prepared cognitively, emotionally and socially, are less likely to be held back or need special education services and are more likely to complete high school and become successful and productive adults. States without pre-k programs miss out on these short- and long-term benefits.

The Pew Center on the States is a division of The Pew Charitable Trusts that identifies and advances effective solutions to critical issues facing states. Pew is a nonprofit organization that applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life.