State's preschool program short of students in Dubuque

Uncertainty at the Iowa Statehouse seems to be impacting some young learners in Dubuque.

Originally, Gov. Terry Branstad put Iowa's preschool program for 4-year-olds on the chopping block. But by the end of July, legislators found the money to keep it going.

Now, preschool directors in Dubuque say they're having a hard time getting families to sign up.

This year, there are about 150 fewer students enrolled in the free program than there were last year.

The preschool curriculum may consist partly of nursery rhymes and reading stories. But it's serious business to the students and teachers.

"All of these skills are going to benefit them as they leave from here to know how to go to Kindergarten and sit and follow directions," preschool teacher Laure Ward said.

But this school year, there are a lot of empty seats in the free preschool program. Directors here blame that problem on politics.

"A lot of people were questioning, ‘are you going to have too aren't you going to have it?'" Dubuque's Early Childhood Program Coordinator Nancy Murphy said. "I think we had hundreds of calls like that."

Murphy says parents told her they were worried the program would no longer exist, so they sent their kids to daycare centers instead.

She's worried because the number of students in each program determines how much money is allocated by the state.

"Our funding is based on our Oct. 1 (enrollment) count," Murphy said. "And it's important that our children be in those chairs on Oct. 1."

Murphy says the program is stable for now. It's free and there are plenty of spots available, so now she's asking parents to consider enrolling.

Iowa Department of Education officials say it's too early to tell if enrollment in the preschool program has changed in other Iowa communities.