More at Four Preschool Program Gains Grants

The program will enable more than 1,500 at-risk 4-year-olds to enroll in preschool classes. The grants will be distributed to 53 schools and day care centers in 16 counties.

Easley proposed More at Four as a community-based, voluntary program that will prepare at-risk preschool children in North Carolina for success in school.

The initiative received $6.5 million in funds from the N.C. General Assembly for its initial start up this year.

The money will first be awarded to local communities to expand childhood services, including public schools, child-care centers and preschools.

More at Four will aim to provide young students with an education-focused curriculum, qualified teachers and a student-to-teacher ratio of no more than nine to one.

Carolyn Cobb, director of More at Four, said the program is a priority because of the benefits it provides to children.

"Research shows that at-risk preschool children who receive educational pre-kindergarten do better in school," Cobb said. "It fills the educational needs of at-risk children."

She also said withholding the funds because the state is facing a $900 million budget shortfall is not a serious consideration.

"We took the same 4 percent budget cut as other programs," she said. "The overall funding for this program is not very large in the scheme of the state budget, and it is one of the governor's priorities."

But N.C. legislators had mixed reactions to Easley's announcement.

Rep. George Holmes, R-Alexander, said he is surprised that Easley asked for the grants so quickly.

"I am opposed to using the money for pilot programs," said Holmes, a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education. "I don't think we need to start a new program. I don't think it's the proper thing to do right now."

He also said the use of money on this program jeopardizes the educational programs already in existence.

"We've got programs that are ongoing now that will be suffering because of the budget shortfall," he said. "The money should have been used to stop the reduction of funds for educational programs we now have in place."

Sen. Charles Carter, D-Buncombe, said the More at Four program is an appropriate use of funds, despite the state's economic woes.

"We've got to invest in our future, and we do that by investing in our children," Carter said. "Simply because it is a tough economic time, doesn't mean we should bail on our children."

Carter, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Education, said he is always happy to see more money spent on public education.

"It's critical to our goal as a state of being the number one state in the nation," he said. "I applaud (Easley's) program, and I am glad he is pushing through with those grants."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.