Investing in children is fiscally responsible

To the editor:

Last week, the Mat-Su Borough Assembly chamber was filled for the first time in recent history.

Many people spoke to the Mayor’s veto, some in support, and most against. The Assembly voted 4-3, but five votes were needed to override the veto.

Despite the fact that he had previously referred to preschool as “glorified daycare,” Mayor DeVilbiss asked that the issue focus not so much on the merits of it but whether or not it was the taxpayers’ responsibility to pay for it.

Families in our community need to have high quality choices for the care and education of their young children. Mayor DeVilbiss points out that the private sector can meet this need more efficiently. Perhaps they can meet the need for less money, but quality needs to be taken into consideration. Our state is currently trying to start a Quality Rating system for childcares but it is not yet in place. As many working parents can attest, childcare is expensive. However, childcare workers are among the lowest paid and have frequent turnover and little training. The Early Childhood Partnership continues to work to improve the quality of childcare centers and recognize exceptional ones. If the state formula were changed to allow funding for 4-year-old preschool, it would not just benefit district preschool programs. It would also allow families who home school to receive an allotment for curricula and activities for preschoolers. Currently, our correspondence schools are not allowed to enroll preschool children, although families are able to use a portion of a sibling’s allotment. Charter schools would have the ability to create a preschool program that aligned with their philosophy. If our state moves towards a voucher system, a family could choose to send their child to a private preschool program.

Assembly member Matthew Beck commented that he had received more than 100 emails, 85 in support of preschool and 15 against. I have heard from people in the past few weeks that represent a diverse population, including parents, teachers and business owner. Clearly, this is an issue we need to have more conversation about in our community. Our mayor, and the seven white men on the Borough Assembly are not representative of the demographics and opinions of the Mat-Su Borough. If this is something we value, we need to make sure that our representatives at the borough and at the state hear our voice, and are looking toward the long-term future of our community.

As a taxpayer, I see the value in investing in young children. Preschool is not an inoculation, and it doesn’t guarantee school success. It does increase the likelihood that a child will be ready for kindergarten, be proficient on state standards by third grade, and graduate from high school. More importantly, it makes it more likely that they will attend college or post secondary training, be employed, and lead a healthier lifestyle. These children are our future welders, nurses, police officers, and accountants. They are less likely to cost our community down the road in the form of drug and alcohol rehab, health care costs associated with risky behavior and lifestyle choice, welfare, and prison costs. Investing in early childhood education is the fiscally responsible thing to do.

Kelly McBride

Wasilla