Harrisburg, PA (March 26, 2024) – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro and First Lady Lori Shapiro hosted high-quality pre-k classrooms from across the commonwealth at the annual Easter egg hunt at the Governor’s Residence. Preschool students from Montgomery County Intermediate Unit in Norristown, Summit Early Learning in Mifflinburg, and Touching the Future in Fleetwood were in attendance for the festivities.
“Lori and I were excited to welcome preschool students and teachers to the Residence today – and we will continue our work to ensure every child in Pennsylvania receives a quality education and has the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Well-funded early childhood education programs prepare Pennsylvania students for success and support our teachers and workforce at the same time – and that’s why my budget invests an additional $30 million in Pre-K Counts and $2.7 million in our Head Start program. This funding would provide opportunities for our kids to get a head start in high-quality, affordable, accessible pre-K programs, and to support the hard-working educators in every classroom. This is commonsense – let’s get it done.”
“Every Pennsylvania child deserves access to high-quality pre-K, and Josh and I were thrilled to host pre-K students, educators, and advocates from across Pennsylvania today to bring attention to how having access to early childhood education creates opportunity for families and workers,” said First Lady Lori Shapiro. “As the proud parents of four kids, we know firsthand the importance of providing children with the educational opportunities and resources they need to thrive. We are grateful for the dedication and commitment of Pennsylvania educators who support children across the Commonwealth every day and provide them with a quality education.”
Governor Shapiro’s budget proposal for FY 2024-25 offers progress for a system struggling with historic teacher staffing shortages exacerbated by wage growth in other sectors. For the state’s high-quality, publicly-funded pre-k programs, the nearly $33 million in new state funding for Pre-K Counts ($30M) and Head Start Supplemental Assistance ($2.7M) for rate increases will provide much-needed aid to pre-kindergarten providers to combat inflationary pressures and unrelenting staffing shortages.
“Pre-k teachers earn roughly half of their K-5 counterparts in public schools and face the tough choice of staying in their chosen profession as wages increase across other sectors,” said Steve Doster, State Director for ReadyNation and a principal partner in the Pre-K for PA Campaign. “Our coalition is excited to work with Governor Shapiro to advance his proposed investment, which is a critical first step in closing this gap and ensuring adequate staffing levels to operate state funded pre-k programs at current-funded capacity.”
Across the commonwealth, more than 78,000 eligible three- and four-year-olds currently do not have access to high-quality, publicly funded pre-k. Additional investment will be needed in future years to further mitigate teacher shortages in this competitive economy and ensure greater access to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Studies show that children who participate in high-quality pre-kindergarten perform better in school, graduate at higher rates, and earn more throughout their working lives compared to peers who do not have access to early learning programs. Additionally, children who were previously enrolled in Pre-K Counts outperform their economically disadvantaged peers in third grade math and reading.
To learn more about pre-k in Pennsylvania, please visit www.prekforpa.org.
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Attendee panel closed
