Lawmakers like early education

By Victoria A.F. Camron
The Daily Times-Call

LONGMONT — Local state legislators on Wednesday praised the St. Vrain Valley School District for its focus on early childhood education, but weren’t optimistic about providing more funding for public schools.

During a work session, school-board members and district administrators met with representatives Paul Weissmann, D-Louisville, Jack Pommer, D-Longmont, and senators Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Lyons, Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, and Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, at the district’s educational services center.

Legislators agreed with school officials that early childhood education pays off, both fiscally and socially. After attending pre-school, children who would have started kindergarten without the same knowledge and skills as their peers are less likely to drop out of school or become pregnant as teenagers.

Superintendent Randy Zila said research shows that each dollar spent on pre-school or full-day kindergarten programs provides a 17 percent return on investment.

Colorado does not require school districts to provide kindergarten, nor does it fund any kindergarten programs. Nevertheless, the St. Vrain school district currently has a variety of pre-school and kindergarten options in its schools.

“It sounds like you all really are leading in this area,” Tupa said.

“The entire community has embraced this,” said Shaffer, whose child attends preschool at Longmont Estates Elementary School.

Shaffer has introduced a bill to help families of developmentally delayed children find needed early intervention services. With proper therapies, one-third of those children will not suffer any developmental delays later in life, he said.

The bill has been referred to the senate appropriations committee.

The officials also discussed school financing. The state’s share of public schools’ funding has increased from 54 percent in 1993-94 to 64 percent in 2006-07. By 2011, the state will be providing 85 percent of school districts’ funding, Pommer said.

Amendment 23 requires the state to increase per-student funding by the inflation rate plus 1 percent each year. But that’s not enough to keep school districts moving forward with such things as preschool.

“It’s not even going to keep pace with what you’re doing,” Pommer said.

Weissmann has introduced a bill requiring oil and gas severance taxes to be paid monthly instead of quarterly, with the state using the interest money to improve schools’ energy efficiency. The bill passed the House finance committee on Wednesday.