As Pre-K programs grow, demand in Alabama remains high
TUSCALOOSA, Ala — More boys and girls in Alabama are enrolled in Pre-K programs then ever before in the state's history, yet demand remains high according to state and local education leaders.
Nearly 80 families in the City of Tuscaloosa are on a waiting list to enter a local program said faculty at Verner Elementary School. On Monday, State Senator Gerald Allen and State Representative Bill Poole joined local city leaders at the school to celebrate the addition of two new Pre-K classes. Demand is high. Teachers at the school say when a student leaves the program another takes their place within the week.
Lauren Humber believes the program allows students like her daughter, Mae, to be better prepared for the adjustments she will face in kindergarten. "The diversity of the classroom has been really great for her. It's one of those things that you learn from but you can't teach it. It's exposed to her other cultures and backgrounds."
Alabama's First Class Pre-K program has been boosted by a $16 million increase in state funding this year. The revenue boost allowed for the addition of 155 classrooms, including eight grants in Tuscaloosa County. More money will be required to keep up with constant demand. According to the Alabama School Readiness Alliance, an advocacy group for Pre-K education, the state will have to continue to pass similar funding increases for the next five years to ensure every student in Alabama has access to voluntary Pre-K programs.
