The Governor visits with kindrgarten students at Pauline Central Primary School in Williamsport, KS
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback says he remains focused on passage of all-day kindergarten, despite the apparent hesitancy among legislators to get on board.
The Republican governor says he still believes in the proposal, which would increase spending for public schools by $16 million in each of the next five years, as a mean toward improving fourth-grade reading scores. He says targeting money on specific goals is a better investment for the state.
Critics, however, question why Brownback is pushing for the plan now and not earlier in his administration.
The proposal has been assigned to legislative committees to weigh the benefits of increasing the state’s financial commitment to schools and whether there is evidence that any academic gains made by longer kindergarten attendance are sustained by students.