Despite widespread fiscal distress, the nation’s governors are proposing to essentially hold state investments for pre-kindergarten steady for FY 2011.
The 2011 Leadership Matters report finds that 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.
Leadership Matters is Pre-K Now’s annual survey of governors’ funding and policy proposals for publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as the role the federal government plays in state pre-k. So far, the Obama administration has not matched its strong rhetoric with concrete proposals.
Key Findings
- Nine governors increase pre-k investments by a total of $78.5 million.
- Three other states and the District of Columbia anticipate an increase for pre-k through their school funding formulas.
- Ten governors propose to flat fund pre-k. These states include Alaska and Rhode Island, which both started new programs in FY10.
- Twelve governors are proposing to decrease pre-k funding. Early learning investments would decline by a total of $100.6 million.
- Ten states provide no state-funded pre-k.
Leadership Matters Online
For the first time, Leadership Matters is a Web-based report. At the Pre-K Now Web site, each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia has a profile page featuring their executives’ budget proposals, funding trend data, neighboring state comparisons and related news links.
The report also identifies the emergent themes and provides in-depth analysis of the gubernatorial recommendations that best illustrate them:
- Pre-k funding sustainability
- Pre-k as integral to education
- Protecting pre-k
- Bipartisan support for pre-k
- Federal support for pre-k
These detailed stories offer greater insight into the fiscal and political climate surrounding publicly funded pre-k.
To view the interactive report please visit the Pre-K Now Leadership Matters FY11 Web site.