ST. PAUL, MN—Representative Anna Wills, R-Rosemount, issued the following statement regarding Governor Dayton's press conference on Pre-K funding:
"I am proud to be an advocate for early childhood education during my years in the Minnesota House, especially targeting resources for the children who need them the most. Thankfully, schools receiving funding for school readiness or voluntary Pre-Kindergarten are fully funded through the end of the 2018-19 school year, and the remainder of this budget cycle. House Republicans recognize the importance that these early-learning programs have on our little learners and that is why we allocated $50 million in funding last year that could be used toward voluntary Pre-Kindergarten or school readiness programming. Since this is not a budget year, my colleagues and I look forward to working with Governor Dayton's successor about this important issue and all other budget issues when the next legislature convenes in January 2019."
Last session, the legislature and governor agreed to allocate $50 million in one-time funding that schools could use toward voluntary Pre-K or school readiness programming. To date, the legislature has not received bill language from the governor on the extension of one-time Pre-K/School Readiness funding.
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