Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families is making an appeal for the need for more money for pre-K programs in the state. Director Rich Huddleston appeared at the Jonesboro Pre-K Center and said that more money is needed by the state to keep pre-K programs going at current levels:
Huddleston says funding for pre-K has been flat for at least eight years. Not only will they ask for the 43-million dollars, but they will also ask for additional bumps in funding yearly to provide pre-K to more children, and to recruit and retain pre-K teachers in the state.
Huddlestonacknowledges that getting that kind of funding from the legislature during the fiscal session this year and the regular session next year will be challenging:
Huddleston says pre-K programs will have to make some tough decisions if the legislatures does not provide the additional funding.
He says there also needs to be a discussion on how to expand pre-K for more students:
Rich Huddleston. He says more locations will be visited across the state as lawmakers prepare for next month's special fiscal sessions.
