Companion proposals filed to reward quality pre-k programs

In March 2014, Greg Abbott said that as governor, he would push for targeting state aid to school districts offering quality pre-kindergarten classes.

"Expanding the population of students served by existing state-funded programs without addressing the quality of existing prekindergarten instruction or how it is being delivered would be an act of negligence and waste," Abbott said, in part making it clear he did not support state-funded full-day pre-k for schools until quality was assured.

State aid currently supports half-day programs for students from low-income, English-language learning, military and foster families, as noted in a Texas Tribune news story.

In February 2015, Abbott designated early education among his emergency topics for the 2015 Legislature, telling legislators: "To begin the process of improving our schools and advancing our students, we must improve early education."

On Feb. 26, 2015, Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, and Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, filed companion measures modeled on Abbott's pre-K proposal, though an Austin American-Statesman news story said the House plan foresaw less spending than Abbott was urging in his proposed 2016-17 state budget; that shows $118 million for his desired pre-K grants.

The Tribune quoted Huberty saying House budget writers intended to put $100 million into the program, with school districts standing to receive up to $1,500 per student. With 225,000 eligible students, Huberty acknowledged that demand could exceed supply. "It's a numbers game," he said. "But at the end of the day, we are putting money back into the system, we are putting money back into pre-kindergarten."

House Bill 4 (and companion Senate Bill 801) would add a subchapter to the state's education code, "High Quality Prekindergarten Program," enabling school districts to receive additional funding if the districts provide quality pre-K classes. By December 2018, the proposal says, the Texas education commissioner shall report to lawmakers on the effectiveness of the new program on student learning.

We rate this promise In the Works.