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Friday, June 24, 2005

Pre-K Providers' Names Announced

By Leann Holt
Journal Staff Writer
    State officials announced Thursday the names of 28 public schools and private providers that will implement New Mexico's new pre-kindergarten program beginning in August.
    At a news conference at Little Learners preschool in Los Lunas, Gov. Bill Richardson said pre-K will help close the achievement gap for minorities in the state.
    He said the broad geographical base of the providers disproves "critics' claims that we were only going to boost programs in big cities."
    Eleven public school districts and 17 private providers will serve 1,532 4-year-olds at a cost of $4 million. Bids were submitted by 16 public school districts and 30 private providers.
    An additional $1 million will be spent on teacher education and development. Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who also attended the news conference, said teachers will be encouraged to "go back to school."
    According to a press release, 464 children will have access to public and private programs in Albuquerque, Los Lunas and Bernalillo. Another 234 will be served in Gallup, 160 in Gadsden, 105 in Las Cruces, 89 in Zuni and 72 in Shiprock.
    Fifteen communities will provide preschool for 60 or fewer children, including Deming, Santa Fe, Lordsburg, Mescalero, Roswell and Cuba.
    Two-thirds of the programs will be in communities with schools that have low reading and math scores, Denish said.
    Richardson told the crowd, packed in a small Little Learners classroom, that his goal for the next legislative session is to fully fund pre-K.
    Reaching 60 percent to 70 percent of the state's 13,800 4-year-olds who are not in preschool would cost between $19 and $22 million, state data shows.
    Sen. Michael Sanchez, D-Valencia, who was at Little Learners, said he couldn't promise the Legislature could come up with the total funding.
    "But if it helps these kids, we have to give it a chance," he said, pointing to a small group of wiggly preschoolers.
    Denish said she thought it would be reasonable to ask the legislature for an additional $10 million next year.