This week’s article will focus on a pre-school bill that was passed last week by the Iowa House (HF 877). The bill will escalate to a $100 million price tag in four years; and, unlike the common perception, does not provide free pre-school for four-year-olds.
To be clear, I support quality, affordable pre-school. My voting record reflects that in the past two years I have supported an additional $50 million for parent tax credits, pre-school tuition assistance for low income children, and professional development for early childhood professionals. This money was allocated to local empowerment programs that determine how to best use the money to prepare area children for school.
Although the number of four-year-olds in government-run pre-schools is known, the number of children in privately run pre-schools is not. The underlying assumption of HF 877 is that Iowa lacks enough quality private pre-school programs. Supporters of this bill define a quality pre-school as one that is taught by a four-year certified, licensed teacher who uses a state-approved curriculum ten hours a week.
Money in the recently passed legislation ($3,000 per four-year-old) is allocated to the local public school. The school may, but is not required to, collaborate with local private pre-school providers. If local private providers voluntarily agree to participate, they must provide a four-year, certified teacher to teach ten hours of curriculum that meets state standards. The pre-school must also meet program standards, teacher-to-student ratios and transportation arrangements. If the private pre-school does not have a four-year, certified, licensed teacher, the school district will provide one that can either travel to the pre-school or the children can be transported to the public school ten hours a week.
Although there is a perception this money will provide free pre-school for four-year-olds, in actuality, this legislation does nothing to increase access to pre-school for four-year-olds. Actually, the only thing the legislation accomplishes is to provide money to hire additional teachers. There may be some tuition reduction if the pre-school chooses to pass along the savings to the parents, but a participating pre-school may use the new money to comply with the new requirements. In fact, unless the pre-school chooses to reduce tuition, parents will still pay full tuition for pre-school, as well as an additional $100 million in taxes.
When the bill was debated last week, I sponsored an amendment that would have instead directed the first year’s appropriation of $15 million to the existing empowerment program. This would have increased access to pre-schools to thousands more low-income four-year-olds, and would have also paid for professional development for pre-school teachers to improve quality. This amendment was rejected.
I have many reservations about this dramatic change in the way pre-school will be delivered in our state. Not only does the bill direct the new appropriation to public schools, it does not prevent them from using other levies and revenue sources to fund a pre-school. With the opportunity to use other monies, it seems reasonable that a public pre-school that does not choose to include private pre-schools in their community will eventually disable private providers’ ability to compete for students.
The addition of pre-school to public education will cause greater competition for pubic education tax dollars. I fear it will have the effect of taking money away from current K-12 education which is already difficult to fund.
This bill is being dubbed the statewide pre-school program. I believe it would be more correctly titled the pre-school teacher salary bill. It does not increase access to pre-school, and it does not mean free pre-school. It implies we have a problem with quality in our private pre-schools. This bill is a big dollar, big government solution in search of a problem.
Please feel free to contact me in any of the following ways:
E-mail: carmine.boal@legis.state.ia.us
www.voteboal.com
Home Address: 3301 SW Timber Green Road, Ankeny
Home Phone: 964-3335