NEWS ROOM

High-quality pre-k is a proven tool to help overcome some of the negative impacts many of our young children face, including those children at higher risk of academic failure due to economic circumstances or family social and emotional issues.

Earlier this month I joined mayors from across Pennsylvania in our state Capitol to urge expanded access to high-quality pre-k. As Mayor, I am focused on the economic future of Lebanon. This process includes growing the tax base, ensuring public safety, making sure that Lebanon has good jobs and, equally important, making sure that we have the talent needed to fill those jobs. Expanding the reach of high-quality pre-k can help address all of these concerns.

We know, instinctively, for instance, that if a child is given the tools to succeed early on in life that they are more likely to stay in school, stay out of trouble and go on to become an active and contributing member of society. And that investment begins before a child even sets foot in the classroom through access to quality and widely accessible early childhood education programs. 

Perhaps, like preschool learning itself, this requires repetition: Children from low-income families who aren’t afforded the same advantages as other kids need high-quality pre-K.