(Radio Iowa) – A coalition of groups is urging the governor and legislators to provide state funding for a full-day of preschool for four-year-olds who live in low-income households.
The statewide Voluntary Preschool Program currently covers a half day for each four-year-old. Des Moines School Board chair Jackie Norris says four hours of preschool is difficult for working parents to navigate. The coalition proposes providing full-day, state-funded preschool to four year olds who live in households with an annual income at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level.
In addition to public school districts, the Iowa Catholic Conference, the Iowa Association of Christian Schools and the Iowa Association of School Boards are part of the coalition calling for this preschool expansion.
