St. Paul, Minn. – Gov. Mark Dayton today called on the Minnesota Legislature to protect preKindergarten programs from being eliminated for 4,000 students at more than 59 school districts and charter schools across the state. These schools stand to lose state funding unless the Legislature takes action to protect preKindergarten investments for Minnesota’s four-year-olds. After next school year, 227 four-year-olds in the St. Paul Public Schools would lose access to preK if funding isn’t continued.
Gov. Dayton’s supplemental budget proposal would secure permanent preK funding for these school districts and charters, which were only provided temporary funding by the Legislature last session.
State Rep. John Lesch (DFL – St. Paul) issued the following statement:
“All Minnesota students should have the opportunity to start kindergarten fully prepared to learn and achieve, and it would be irresponsible to allow this funding to end. Quality preK programming gives kids a significant jumpstart not just when it comes to academic learning, but how they interact with their peers and develop social and behavioral skills. These resources have also helped close our opportunity gap, so we can’t put this progress in jeopardy.
“Education for four-year-olds shouldn’t be a political bargaining chip year after year. Let’s do the right thing and invest in Minnesota’s kids.”