Early childhood education got a lot of attention last year in Montpelier. But while lawmakers injected a historic infusion of cash into child care subsidies, they largely set aside the subject of pre-kindergarten.
Most school districts currently offer pre-K on a part-time basis. And if they offer full-day care, they pay a tax penalty. That's because Vermont's school funding formula counts each pre-K student as roughly half a student.
A new report, released this week by the Agency of Education, says pre-K students should be counted as full students – and probably more. But it also says more data is needed to accurately grasp the cost of pre-K before lawmakers can update the formula.
“Despite our best efforts, the (Agency of Education) faced challenges in collecting detailed cost data for specific grade levels,” Interim Education Secretary Heather Bouchey wrote in the report. “In addition, the diversity of PreK program providers and funding models, coupled with the absence of standardized reporting methods, further make it difficult to fully understand PreK education costs.”
Between these inconclusive findings, and the fact that yet another study is due out on the subject a year from now, even proponents of full-day pre-K in the Legislature say it’ll be 2025 before they can take action.
Jay Nichols, the executive director of the Vermont Principals’ Association, said that's frustrating. He argues lawmakers can and should adjust the formula now – and revisit it again later if needed.
“There's no research anywhere, by anyone, that says that spending less money on preschool kids, you know, makes any sense. It's more about if anything, they cost more to educate. So we should at least go to the level that we go for first grade,” he said.
The state's report also notes lawmakers have other decisions to make before it implements full-day pre-K like whether Vermont should offer full-day care to both 4- and 3-year-olds in the future.
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