Floridians long have complained about the sorry state of education in the Sunshine State. Voters struck back in 2002, passing a constitutional amendment that created the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program, a move to provide an educational springboard for every Florida 4-year-old who enrolled.
Now, just when the state has stumbled on something that’s making inroads at a developmentally critical time in children’s lives, the Scrooges in the Legislature are shortchanging the program.
Thousands of kids enrolled in VPK have learned lessons in literacy and social etiquette that better prepared them to excel at more than just finger-painting when they enter kindergarten.
However, as the state’s budget crisis has deepened, the coalitions in charge of administering VPK are learning tough lessons in stretching stagnant resources and maintaining program quality even as enrollment swells.
State figures show that more than 154,000 kids will receive VPK services this fiscal year. Going forward, enrollment is expected to continue rising. Funding — temporarily buoyed by stimulus dollars — isn’t keeping up.
If lawmakers don’t fund VPK with the money required to meet its growing needs, more kids will be enrolled in a program that sacrifices quality simply to survive.
Because VPK is a state entitlement, every eligible 4-year-old has the right to attend the free program. It’s a prerogative that economizing parents are exercising more often.
Unable to pare the number of students, lawmakers last legislative session cut payments to VPK providers. School-year providers, for instance, saw their payouts shrink by $104. That’s a short-term fix with potentially negative long-term fallout. It isn’t inconceivable that many VPK providers, fed up with pay cuts, could ditch the program.
That would not only shrink the pool of private, public and faith-based providers, from which parents can choose. If there are fewer providers, kids might miss a once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity.
Research has shown that the brain is like a sponge at that young age. When the brain is that absorbent, it’s the perfect time to introduce children to certain skills. Some windows of opportunity often start closing by age 5.
Currently funded at about $367 million, the VPK program temporarily is being supplemented with about $38 million in stimulus cash. It runs out June 30, 2010. In addition, based on current growth projections for the next fiscal year, the program will require nearly $22.5 million more.
If legislators continue to trim around the edges, rather than digging deep, cuts will have to come from either provider payouts or program costs.
Gutting costs would also butcher VPK’s proven effectiveness. VPK’s 2007-08 VPK Readiness Rates showed 54 percent of kids who completed VPK were classroom ready compared with 42 percent of those who did not attend VPK.
Given so many needs, we understand how difficult it is for lawmakers to exercise vision and commit to a prevention program that will pay future dividends.
However, they must. Giving VPK the money it needs provides a boost to many young Floridians who otherwise would see windows of opportunity slam shut. That leads to a productive workforce and stronger economy in the years to come.
We defy even the legislative Scrooges to call that humbug.
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