Oregon Kids Soar with Early Education Investments

High-quality pre-kindergarten can help get children started on the right path in life, setting a course toward academic success and sustainable careers, and away from a life of crime. Fortunately, Oregon recently increased investments in such programs through passage of the Student Success Act, which will provide about $2 billion in additional funding for children birth to 12th grade over the next two years. Approximately $400 million of these funds will be concentrated on initiatives for children birth to age five, with $75 million specifically allocated towards preschool slots, allowing the state to serve an additional 5,223 children.

Yet, this funding is still not sufficient, as there remain more than 20,000 children in low-income families who will still not have access to pre-kindergarten. Further, Oregon’s teachers and programs need to be high-quality to ensure children will fully benefit from attending pre-kindergarten. Oregon’s law enforcement leaders know that our youth are our future, and we need to make sure they are given the tools to succeed, by providing them with high-quality pre-kindergarten.