Each fall, Pre-K Now reports the final pre-kindergarten funding figures, and the stories behind them, from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. On the pages in this section you can quickly view what is said about your state in 
"Votes Count: Legislative Action on Pre-K Fiscal Year 2010."
This year, legislatures in most states, facing severe budget shortfalls, still supported and protected researched-based, high-quality pre-k. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia chose to increase or protect their pre-k investments, while two states chose to fund programs for the very first time. Overall state pre-k funding increased by a modest gain of more than $64 million, leading to a record-high total of $5.3 billion in state investments.
Getting the Job Done: Legislatures Prioritize Pre-K Despite Shortfalls
Pre-k champions in several states understand that high-quality pre-k is an essential support in tough times and a wise investment for a better future. Two states in particular deserve specific praise: Alabama for its steady, quality-first strategy, and New Jersey for its expansion of already-robust programs long after an initial investment in 1999.
Two other states – Rhode Island and Alaska – approved pre-k programs for first time. Though based on modest initial funding, these states are charting a course out of the Pre-K Wilderness and on toward greater economic competiveness and better-educated, more successful citizens.
Read more about:
Alabama
New Jersey
Rhode Island
Alaska
Going it Alone: Legislatures Strive to Do the Right Thing for Kids
In two states the legislators worked to keep early learning moving forward but could not overcome gubernatorial vetoes. In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry vetoed legislation touting quality enhancements to the Early Childhood and Pre-Kindergarten Initiative. In Washington, legislators hoped to overcome cuts by bringing pre-k into the state’s definition of basic education, but were rebuffed by a veto from Gov. Christine Gregoire, who was concerned that the new definition did not include all children.
Read more about:
Texas
Washington
Roll Back: Ohio Pre-K Takes Turn for the Worse
In Ohio, lawmakers – facing a comparatively manageable gap of 5 percent – chose to decimate the state’s two program pre-k system, derailing a turnaround that had barely begun and setting themselves and their state’s young children further behind their peers across the country. Overall, the remains of the state’s pre-k system are expected to serve at least 12,000 fewer low-income children even as the ranks of young children in poverty are likely to grow.
Read more about:
Ohio
Missing Guideposts: Federal Funding Needs Sharper Pre-K Focus
Two pieces of federal legislation – the passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the pending Early Learning Challenge Fund (ELCF) – stand to increase financial support of pre-k education, but both will only have nominal impact on families’ access to early education unless federal leaders back their intentions with stronger incentives for pre-k investment.
Read more about:
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The Early Learning Challenge Fund
Related Materials
The Case for Pre-K in the ESEA
Highlights from "Votes Count"
