We the People

Eagle Forum voices concern over preschool law  

by Morgan Pratt

 

Gov. Gary Herbert signed H.B. 96, the Utah School Readiness Initiative, into law Wednesday which will provide grants to fund preschool for at risk Utah children.

 

Since the bill was signed, the Utah Eagle Forum, a conservative group, has voiced their concern about the initiative.

 

Gayle Ruzicka, the president of the Utah Eagle Forum, said the bill is a waste of money because it is based on the failed Head Start Program.

 

“It has been a failure,” Ruzicka said. “All children by the third grade are at the same level whether they did or did not have Head Start. There is no evidence that Head Start has made a difference at all.”

 

Utah Representative Greg Hughes, R-Draper, was the sponsor for the bill. He said the program was not established on the idea of the Head Start Program. Rather, the Utah School Readiness Initiative is based on a pilot program which is run through the Granite School District for at risk kids.

 

“H.B. 96 came from a proof of concept model that has been going in Salt Lake County since 2006,” Hughes said. “Through the model, non-government entities have invested educational dollars for quality preschool curriculum with at risk children. We looked to take that model and create a state structure to do the same thing.”

 

Hughes said an at risk child is not merely characterized by someone under the poverty level, but it also includes kids who may be prone to special education.

 

Terry Haven, the deputy director of the Utah Voice for Children, said since the pilot program for the Utah Readiness Initiative has been running for the past five years, it has shown significant success.

 

“When we look at those children who started in this preschool program who came into the program testing in special-ed levels,” Haven said. “When we look at those kids now, we are looking at them in the fifth grade. When we look at those test scores, they are at or above their peers. So, through the fifth grade, this program has made a huge difference.”

 

The program is projected to affect 4,000 students and cost $3 million dollars per year, Hughes said.

 

Ruzicka said the funding mechanism is all wrong.

 

“It is borrowing money from private business and corporations that they have to pay back at a very high interest rate just like bonding,” Ruzicka said. “That money can be better used in the classroom.”

 

Hughes said in the long run, the program will pay off because the state of Utah would have to pay less money to pay for special education.

 

“If you can avoid those dollars once they are in our public schools, there is a post-performance repayment for those who that would have provided the curriculum,” Hughes said. “So, it is cost saving for our public schools.”

 

Hughes said the program will not only reduce special education costs in public schools but it would help to reduce the cost of juvenile justice.

 

“Through this program, the prospect for these kids brighten and they stay in school and succeed,” Hughes said.

 

Ruzicka said the funding for the program should go toward classroom supplies for students in the current education system.

 

“If they have all of this extra money, it needs to go into the school system as is, not for preschool,” Ruzicka said. “If they have children not reading by the third grade, they should focus on reading programs.”

 

Regardless, Haven said she is confident the new Utah School Readiness Initiative will be rewarding for students and for those who fund the program.

 

“It works, it makes sense, it saves money and most importantly, it helps kids,” Haven said.