Alabama's voluntary pre-kindergarten program is expected to see a roughly 40 percent increase thanks to increased funding.
Commissioner of the Department of Children's Affairs, Jeana Ross, told AL.com (http://bit.ly/12lVDg7) Monday that grant funding has helped state officials to form pre-kindergarten programs at 93 new schools.
The Legislature increased funding for the pre-kindergarten program from $19.1 million to $28.5 million for fiscal year 2014. Jeremy King, spokesman for Gov. Robert Bentley, says he plans to offer more details on the planned expansion later this week.
About 3,900 children attended pre-kindergarten programs at 217 sites during the 2012-2013 school year. Officials expect 1,670 additional children to participate in the programs next year.