The National Institute for Early Education Research released its annual report on the state of preschool this week and the picture isn’t pretty. Across the country, total state funds for pre-k in 2010 were $30 million less than the previous year. According to NIEER, the funding hole would have been close to $50 million deeper were it not for dollars from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — dollars that school leaders and policymakers are painfully aware are going to dry up very soon.  

Up until this year, a lot of states were able to preserve their pre-k investments even if the recession prevented them from increasing pre-k dollars. As we wrote last year, “flat is the new up” had become the mantra for early ed advocates, and they were largely successful at maintaining the status quo. But as the NIEER report shows, their work is getting tougher all the time. Nationally, per-child spending for pre-k children fell by an average $114 last year. Nine states cut per-child funds by 10% or more. Children in Arizona, Nebraska and Ohio felt the pinch the most.

Ironically, while states are cutting pre-k funds, ongoing studies of state-funded pre-k continue to show the value of the investment. Across 10 state pre-k programs cited, participating children were more likely to have higher language, literacy and math skills than their peers who did not attend the programs. In Michigan, the positive effects were still apparent through fourth and eighth grade follow ups. Studies also show that pre-k students were likewise less likely to be retained in grade. Clearly, the dollar invested now will save school dollars later.

 NIEER also had some good news to report, however. Two states — Alaska and Rhode Island — launched new pre-k programs, and more states increased pre-k enrollments than decreased them. Nonetheless, the cold reality of shrinking education dollars is setting in to the detriment of our littlest students.

The NIEER yearbook reports on pre-k funding and quality by state. You can find your state info on the NIEER website.  – Patte Barth