Investments in education repay us all

To the editor:

Mat-Su Borough Mayor DeVilbiss is vetoing funds for Pre-Kindergarten education stating that “Public school is no place for 4-year-old kids” and called pre-K “glorified day care.” These opinions are outdated and not rooted in today’s reality. The mayor called the funding request for pre-K a “liability” when in reality it is a longterm investment with little risk.

In fact, the advantages of pre-K are clear. Young kids learn good behaviors and skills that help them throughout their school years. Many who get pre-K tend to have significantly better success well beyond their school years.

High quality pre-K pays back the education system by lowering funding needs in several areas including special education. Better achievement in school leads to better economic success. Pre-K students who were tracked as they aged had less delinquency, less need for public assistance and got better jobs — valuable benefits to all our communities.

The funding, intended by the Assembly, will give the school district a little breathing space to arrange more long-term funding sources for pre-K. The $350,000 in questions is less than 1 percent of the current $51 million Mat-Su Borough taxpayer contribution to our school district. If you include the additional $200 million provided by the state and feds, the pre-K funding is less than two-tenths of 1 percent.

I want to thank the seven members of the assembly for supporting this valuable program. Success in first and second grades form the basis of continued academic success. That success will be enhanced by addition of this program.

In 1988 people told me that students would not return to school. They did return and have become assets to the community. The students in the “Infant Learning Program” had a head start on school. It provided the help needed to overcome learning challenges and to help teen parents be skilled parents.

Early education is an effective cost saver. The old “pay now or “pay later” adage comes to mind. Assembly Member please override the Mayor’s veto.

Peter H. Burchell

Founder Burchell High School