Gov. Raimondo touts universal pre-K proposal

January 16, 2019 6:02 pm

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Governor Gina Raimondo read to public pre-Kindergarten students in Pawtucket while touting her proposal for universal pre-K.

“If we’re going to promise people the chance to get a good job and get ahead, it begins in pre-k,” she told reporters.

Currently, the state is spending $7-million per year to send 1,080 students to all-day pre-k. The governor’s expansion plan tacks on another $10-million each year – with an estimated $47-million for year four.

Gov. Raimondo hopes that money would eventually be integrated into the funding formula: “Will it be hard to find the money? It will not be easy…I can’t think of any better investment we could make. And so I’m committed to it.”

The proposal has its skeptics, including Senate Minority Leader Dennis Algiere (R – District 38). “It sounds great, but again, there’s money attached to that. And the concern is: where are we going to get that money from in this challenging budget, this year and next fiscal year.”

Gov. Raimondo remains steadfast on the high return on investment, both economically and socially: “I would much rather put a dollar into public pre-K than into remedial education or truancy programs or the ACI.”

It would not be mandatory for parents to send their children to public pre-K. Universal enrollment is defined as 70-percent of the population – roughly 7,000 four-year-olds.