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For Immediate
Release
3/21/07
CONTACT:
David Broderic
(717) 787-2637
PA
Senate Republican Communications
(717) 787-6725
Statement from Senator James J. Rhoades
HARRISBURG -- Senator Rhoades issued
the following statement at the conclusion of a public hearing held today
by the Senate Education Committee.
The subject of the hearing was Governor Edward Rendell's proposal to
increase funding for the accountability block grant program by $100
million, with $25 million of the increase directed to school districts
for full-day kindergarten programs and $75 million of the increase
directed to pre-kindergarten programs.
While school districts may currently use their share of the $250 million
appropriated for the accountability block grant program in FY 2006-2007
on pre-kindergarten, the Department of Education's annual report on the
block grant program indicates that only 45 school districts elected to
do so.
"Only 45 school districts out of 501 opted to spend their share of
$250 million in block grants on pre-kindergarten. That tells me
something.
Investing in pre-kindergarten is important. But if only a fraction of
our schools have used their block grants to do it, they clearly have
other priorities.
We need to figure out what our schools need to educate our students.
And, to do that, we need to keep asking them to join us in making tough
choices.
That is the only way we can set priorities in a budget where there
will be extremely limited resources."
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