Should Taxpayers Fund Preschool?

Last week, the voters of California overwhelmingly voted against a universal preschool initiative, 61% to 39%. Why should anyone in Wisconsin, or Racine for that matter, care about what happens in the state of California? It is relevant because RUSD is introducing 4-year old kindergarten for the upcoming 2006-2007 school year, and did so without seeking the approval of the voters, as California did. At the April 3rd board meeting, one of the financial consultants said that the taxpayers should not have a chance at voting for preschool because the community might not support it.

So without prior taxpayer approval, the leaders of our district have decided to offer preschool to all residents of the district despite the fact that many of our schools simply do not have enough room for additional classes. Local preschools and daycare centers have been approached to house the upcoming class of 4 year olds. Why, when grants are available to fund the upstart of early education initiatives, is RUSD seeking to borrow the money to fund the program?

It should be noted that I am a strong advocate of early education; I sent both of my children to 2 years of preschool before sending them off to kindergarten, but I do not feel that universal preschool should be paid for by tax dollars. Preschool should be the responsibility of the parents, not the taxpayers. We already have early education for those children who meet certain guidelines (financial and academic); why not expand those programs if we need to? Offering “free” preschool for the masses is the not best stewardship of our tax dollars. When did our schools become a substitute for the family structure?

Surprisingly, the voters of California agreed and defeated Proposition 82. Sadly, the voters of Racine County were not given the same chance.