Michigan

Democrats Urge Preschool Access for All 4-Year-Olds -
Some Worry that At-risk Children May Be Shortchanged.

By KRISTIN CAINCapital News Service
LANSING -- All Michigan

4-year-olds will have access to public preschool programs in the coming years if all goes as planned for Democratic lawmakers.

House Democrats are working on refining a proposal they hope to introduce this month, according to Dan Farough, press secretary for the Democratic Caucus.

Within its first year, the program would double enrollment from 25,000 to 50,000 children statewide. Over the five years it will take to fully implement, enrollment is projected to increase to 140,000.

Pete Palasinski, principal of Jerolene School in the Sturgis School District, said he thinks it's a great idea. He said believes in the social and academic aspects of preschool and that children can benefit from interaction with other adults in a structured environment.

"I think having a quality curriculum makes sense," he said. "It gives kids a well-rounded experience."

Sturgis School District currently employs two early childhood teachers with the Michigan School Readiness program at Jerolene. The program is open only to "at-risk" students who must meet at least two of the 25 identified factors such as low birth weight, language deficiency and parent delinquency. More than half of the 68 enrolled children in the program must be from low-income families.

However, Palasinski worries about not having enough space to accommodate all of the eligible children if the proposal passes.

"I'm just concerned for our most at-risk children if there's not some sort of criteria," he said. "I think that's where the Michigan School Readiness Program has done a great job over the years."

Other preschool programs in Sturgis are available through Head Start -- which is based solely on a family's income level -- or private preschools run primarily through area churches.

Debra Bontrager, the director of Humpty Dumpty Preschool affiliated with the Sturgis Wesleyan Church, runs a 4-year-old classroom with 22 children. Bontrager said although the new program may decrease student enrollment, many parents will still be attracted to the program because of their curriculum.

The new legislation comes out of an early childhood task force formed two years ago. According to Farough, about a half-dozen other states, including New York and Florida, have created similar universal preschool programs.

He said the task force also examined many educational and societal studies and that Democrats also want to supplement the number of preschool teachers through an increase in scholarship funds.

Childhood development statistics have shown that an increase in early education can have many positive personal and social benefits in years to come. An increase in preschool education programs can lead to an increase in employment and productivity -- both for students and parents -- along with decreased incarceration and teen pregnancy rates.

"Every $1 we invest in preschool saves taxpayers up to $17, and that's a winning investment for Michigan and our children," said Rep. Pam Byrnes, D-Chelsea, citing a 2004 study by High/Scope Educational Research Foundation of Ypsilanti. Byrnes is the lead sponsor of the bill.