Montgomery, AL – Governor Riley's plan to expand Alabama's small pre-kindergarten program picked up endorsements today from two groups that teach 4-year-olds. Leaders of the Alabama Head Start Association and the Alabama Association of Licensed Early Care and Education joined Riley at the Capitol to praise the governor's plan. Riley wants to expand funding from $10 million to $30 million and triple enrollment from the current 2,400.
At the same time Riley was promoting his plan, Alabama legislators were hearing fiscal experts say the state will likely have less money to appropriate for the next school year than it does this year.
The chairman of the House education budget committee, Richard Lindsey, says expanding pre-K is a worthy goal, but it may have to wait because of budget problems.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)