Governor Polis Promotes $185M Plan For Full-Day Kindergarten
DENVER (CBS4) -- The Joint Budget Committee has agreed to fund Governor Polis' signature campaign promise of full-day kindergarten statewide. Most of the $185 million will come from new money generated by a good economy. That has some lawmakers concerned about whether the program is sustainable in a down economy. The Joint Budget Committee also made about $6 million in cuts to everything from higher ed to courts to public health.
"This week we took a huge step towards making fully funded full day kindergarten a reality," Governor Polis told a crowd, including kindergartners at Denver's Greenlee Elementary School.
The kids wore hats that said what Representative Jim Wilson has been preaching for years, "Early Childhood Education Rocks."
Wilson has introduced bill after bill to fund full day kindergarten, "What I've been telling folks is the kindergarten train is coming folks. You've got one of three options. You can jump on board, you can jump out of the way, or you can get run over because we're coming."
Wilson is a Republican. His co-sponsor, Representative Barbara McLachlan is a Democrat. Both of them are former educators.
"You just imagine the what ifs," said McLachlan. "What if every kid has early education? What if they're in school early enough that we can diagnose difficulties with their reading?"
Asia Zanders doesn't have to imagine. Her son, she says, struggled with reading and math.
"Due to the help of his kindergarten teacher and access to full day kindergarten, (he) came home one day after kindergarten, picked up a book and started reading. Now, I kid you not, (he's) on 5th grade reading level, doing 7th grade math, and he's only going into the 3rd grade."
Every child, the governor says, deserves that same opportunity.
"Every child no matter where they live, no matter the wealth of their parents, no matter their race, deserves a strong start that early childhood education can provide. And full day kindergarten is a critical step toward addressing the persistent achievement gaps in education based on race and geography and income."
Polis is hopeful the money that some schools had been using to subsidize kindergarten will now be used to fund more pre-school slots. But it's unclear where the additional teachers will come from. Colorado already has a significant teacher shortage. Some schools, he acknowledges, will also need to build more classrooms
