ST. PAUL, Minn. – (Aug. 11, 2016) – Nearly 100 students in the Anoka-Hennepin School District will receive free pre-kindergarten education this year. 3,302 four-year-olds in 74 Minnesota school districts and charter schools will attend voluntary pre-kindergarten, free of charge, due to a $25 million dollar investment from the State of Minnesota. With this pre-kindergarten investment, just over one-fifth of all Minnesota school districts will provide free, voluntary pre-kindergarten for four-year-olds in their communities.
In total, 183 school districts and charter schools applied for pre-kindergarten funding this year. But due to a lack of funding, nearly 60 percent of those districts did not receive state aid.
Last year, Minnesota was ranked 50th in the nation for access to full-day early learning programs. According to the Annie E. Casey Kids Count Data Book, 55 percent of Minnesota’s three- and four-year-olds are not enrolled in any form of pre-kindergarten. Many Minnesota students who are enrolled in early learning programs have to pay tuition. Over 25,800 early learning scholarships funded by the Governor and Legislature over the last three years have helped reduce those costs for families. But many Minnesota families do not qualify for state-funded scholarships, and are forced to pay thousands of dollars for pre-kindergarten tuition or expensive childcare.
This school year, 3,302 Minnesota four-year-olds will gain access to free, voluntary pre-kindergarten. In total, 74 school districts and charter schools will receive funding, including 14 Metro Area districts, 50 Greater Minnesota districts, and 10 charter schools. The program is targeted to Minnesota school districts and charter schools that serve high numbers of low-income students and where there may be limited access to other high-quality pre-kindergarten programs.
