Branstad looks to shift financial burden for preschool program

UPDATE: Gov. Terry Branstad worked to bridge a partisan divide Monday with a proposal to provide $3,000 preschool scholarships to parents based on an ability to pay that was on shaky footing with legislative Democrats who want to stick with a universal program but appeared to be viewed as a middle ground by GOP lawmakers.

At his weekly news conference, Branstad detailed a $43.6 million preschool proposal that would offer $3,000 scholarships to low-income families who enroll their children in public or private schools. The scholarships would be offered on a sliding-scale based on income so that all parents would pay something for early-childhood education.

Branstad said the proposal would shift preschool offerings in Iowa from a costly, voluntary universal program to one where most parents who could afford pre-kindergarten schooling for their youngsters would pay for it.

“With the limited amount of state dollars that we have, it makes sense to invest in children who will benefit the most from high-quality preschool,” the governor said. “The new Iowa preschool program helps families who need a hand with the cost while the more affluent families will pay the full tuition.”

Under Branstad's plan, households who earn less than 300 percent of the poverty rate would qualify for the scholarship, while paying a monthly contribution that would range from $3 up to $133 depending on their yearly income and number of children. Parents would choose whether to enroll their child in a public or private preschool program.

Currently, Iowa has about 39,000 4-year-olds and it is estimated that about 20,000 attend preschool. Branstad said he hoped the new approach would increase participation to as high as 70 percent and strengthen private and nonprofit organizations that currently are struggling to maintain services under the current system. The governor's proposal would end a current requirement that preschool teachers be state-certified.

Branstad administration officials estimated that the parents' share in the new sliding-scale approach would approach $7.6 million. Opponents said Branstad's approach could cause a cost shift of up $20 million for parents whose children would not qualify for the scholarship program.

Jason Glass, director of the state Department of Education, said Iowa is among a small number of states offering voluntary universal preschool. The goal is the new approach is to close the achievement gap before it begins by providing help to low-income families seeking to get their children involved in a quality school setting early.

The governor said his approach is the “middle ground” between legislative Democrats who control the Iowa Senate and want to maintain universal preschool, and legislative Republicans who control the House and want to end state involvement in a system that previously was mostly available via private providers.

“We have very, very serious reservations about that both in terms of quality and in terms of access,” said Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs.

Rep. Greg Forristall, D-Council Bluffs, chairman of the House Education Committee, agreed, saying he expected majority House Republicans to give favorable consideration to the governor's proposal.

“I think it's a move in the right direction,” he said. “I look forward to moving this through the House.”

Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines, called the governor's plan a “flawed approach” that would amount to a voucher system that “would weaken the fabric of public education. I believe this is a move in the wrong direction.”

Sen. Brian Schoenjahn, D-Arlington, chairman of the Senate Education budget subcommittee, said Branstad's plan would “shut the door” on Iowa's successful statewide preschool initiative.

“Democrats reject his plan because it would reduce the access and quality of the successful Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for thousands of middle-class Iowa families,” he said.

Schoenjahn noted that only 19 percent of Iowa's 4-year-olds attended preschool before the state launched its universal program.

Rep. Nate Willems, D-Lisbon, ranking member of the House Education Committee, said he expected the governor's approach would lower participation in preschool programs and make it more difficult for middle-class families to afford early-childhood development opportunities for their kids.

“With no certified teacher, the Governor's plan gives parents no guarantee of quality instruction for their children,” he said. “With no reliable statewide program, school districts will also be forced to end partnerships with private preschool providers.”