A pilot program aimed at providing pre-kindergarten educational opportunities for low-income Hoosier kids has been stripped out of a bill in a Senate committee.
The program – a major initiative of Governor Mike Pence – was replaced with a mandated study of the issue.
Proposed legislation passed overwhelmingly by the House created a framework for a preschool pilot program. It would have served about a thousand four-year-olds in five counties, with funding to kick in next year. But an amendment, approved by the Senate Education committee, scuttles the pilot and instead creates a study committee this summer. Senate Republican fiscal leader Luke Kenley – who authored the amendment – says the study will look at several facets of pre-k education, including corporate partnership possibilities, parental involvement and preschool standards in other states.
Governor Mike Pence made the preschool program one of the cornerstones of his legislative agenda and even testified on its behalf in the Senate Education committee last week. In a statement, the governor’s office says Pence looks forward to continuing to work with lawmakers to advance the initiative. The bill now heads to the Senate floor. For Indiana Public Broadcasting, I’m Brandon Smith.
