Today, the Alabama Legislature gave final approval to a $24.4 million increase for Alabama's First Class Pre-K program. The education budget legislation now goes to Governor Kay Ivey's desk for her signature. The increased funding could create as many as 200 additional First Class Pre-K classrooms statewide. This pre-k funding increase was initially recommended by Governor Ivey and the independent Alabama School Readiness Alliance Pre-K Task Force. The Task Force includes more than 60 prominent leaders from the business, education, early childhood civic, medical, legal, philanthropic, military, and child advocacy communities.
Hours before this huge win for Alabama children, President Joe Biden touted his proposal for universal pre-k for every three- and four-year-old in the nation. The plan also includes investments in child care that would guarantee that low-to-middle-income families pay no more than 7 percent of their income for high-quality child care for their young children. This is on top $40 billion approved in the American Rescue Plan to support America's child care industry as it struggles to serve children and families in a pandemic. The American Rescue Plan also provides $779 million for Alabama cities, $951 for Alabama counties and more than $2 billion for public education in Alabama. That is why the Alabama School Readiness Alliance is partnering with the Alabama League of Municipalities and the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools to host tomorrow's webinar, Utilizing American Rescue Plan Funding to Accelerate Early Learning. On Friday's webinar, from 11-Noon, experts will share details about various funding opportunities created by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. ASRA leaders will also go over a new toolkit designed to support mayors, city and county officials and local school systems in utilizing American Rescue Plan funding to close early achievement gaps. Regiser for the webinar here. |
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