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By Darcy Olsen with Lisa Snell
May 2006
Assessing ProPosAls for Preschool And
KindergArten:
essentiAl informAtion for PArents, tAxPAyers And PolicymAKers
POLICY
STUDY
Reason Foundation

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Reason Foundation
Assessing Proposals for Preschool and Kindergarten:
Essential Information for Parents, Taxpayers and Policymakers
By Darcy Olsen with Lisa Snell
Executive Summary

roposals for universal preschool and all-day kindergarten are an increasingly popular policy
solution for everything from low academic achievement, to reducing crime, to lowering the
dropout rate. In summer 2005, a national task force co-chaired by Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano
called for $8 billion annually in federal support for preschool.1 Similarly, in his 2006 response to
President Bush\u2019s State of the Union Speech, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine acknowledged universal
preschool as a silver bullet to help create a better future for the United States. Kaine said, \u201cThere\u2019s
a Better way\u2026 Many states are working to make high quality Pre-Kindergarten accessible to every

family.\u201d2

States are moving quickly to expand access to state-run preschool. According to Libby Doggett,
Pre-K Now\u2019s executive director, states cumulatively have committed more than $14 billion to early
education.3 Arizona, New Mexico, Washington, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia are all
considering various models of universal preschool, and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich recently
announced plans to make Illinois the first state in the nation to offer universal preschool to both
three-and four-year-olds. California has a universal preschool initiative on the June 2006 ballot.
Nationwide, at least 40 states provide state funding for preschool programs, and at least 28
considered legislation to expand state-funded preschool programs in 2005.4Three states\u2014Georgia,
Oklahoma, and Florida\u2014offer universal preschool.

The movement toward all-day kindergarten is also gaining popularity in the states. Currently nine
states mandate full-day kindergarten and seven states offer school districts financial incentives to
offer full-day kindergarten. Governors in Arizona, Indiana, and Massachusetts have made full-day
kindergarten a top legislative priority in 2006 and many other state legislatures are considering full-

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