The country may be slowly emerging from the recession, but cuts to states’ prekindergarten spending are only getting deeper, a new report says.

So far, prekindergarten programs have lost $348 million in funding in fiscal 2010 and 2011, according to a report from the National Institute for Early Education Research.

And those state cuts are only part of the story. Washington state proposes a 19 percent cut — or $10.4 million — in 2011.

 

Full story…

 

***

 

State pre-kindergarten program – Fiscal year 2010 cuts + FY 2011 proposed cuts

Arizona 50% ($6,119,959) 100% ($6,119,959)

California 0.40% ($1,755,600)

Colorado 2.3% ($950,391) 3.5% ($2,565,500)

Connecticut 5.8% ($4,187,275)

Florida 1% ($3,672,000)

Illinois 10% ($32,702,446) 15.9% ($48,431,400)

Kansas (At-Risk Program) 6.8% ($1,356,767) 5.2% ($1,716,000)

Kentucky 2% ($1,502,000)

Louisiana (LA4) 7% ($5,499,000) 0.8% ($797,600)

Massachusetts 27% ($17,474,398)

Michigan 7.3% ($7,537,250)

New Mexico 3% ($549,400) 10.4% ($2,007,200)

New York 8% ($30,014,097) 3.5% ($14,493,500)

North Carolina 3% ($5,114,157) 3% ($5,000,000)

Ohio 33% ECE ($11,473,552) 100% ELI ($116,874,161)

Pennsylvania (Pre-K Counts & state HdSt investments) 0.9% ($1,300,500)

South Carolina (4K and CDEPP) 16% ($6,542,810)

WASHINGTON 3% ($1,678,289) 19% ($10,431,000)

Wisconsin (HdSt supplement) 3.5% ($252,438)

SOURCE: National Institute for Early Education Research, Rutgers University, 2010.