President Obama’s Budget Includes Expansion of Pre-Kindergarten Programs
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President Obama’s 2014 budget proposal includes $75 billion to expand pre-kindergarten programs. It’s the same plan the president introduced when he visited a pre-k center in Decatur in February. Due to the success of its pre-k program, Georgia could receive a share of the money.Listen to the audio version of this story.
The president’s proposal increases the cigarette tax to pay for the expansion. Bobby Cagle, the commissioner of Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning, says he supports a pre-k expansion, but favors an alternative funding source.
“We do think that the tax proposal is going to be very controversial and something that could endanger the entire proposal should there not be other alternatives,” Cagle says.
Cagle says DECAL plans to propose other funding sources to federal officials. He says even if Georgia receives some of the money, the pre-k program should still be state-run.
“At the very least, we’re looking for maximum flexibility as a state to be able to do what we’ve done and done well for 20 years,” he explains, “And in conversations with the federal representatives, it does seem as if they’re willing to do that.”
Georgia’s pre-k program currently serves 84,000 4-year olds.
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