Iowa Lt. Gov. promotes preschool education

By DUANE NOLLEN

OSKALOOSA — OSKALOOSA — Lt. Gov. Patty Judge visited Oskaloosa Thursday morning to tour local preschools and speak about efforts to move the state and its preschool education programs forward.

Judge visited the preschool at the Webster Elementary building and later SONshine Preschool in Oskaloosa as part of a tour that took her to Knoxville, Oskaloosa and Washington Thursday.

Judge said that fully funding voluntary preschool for 4-year-olds is a priority for her and Gov. Chet Culver. She said the final $15 million installment to fund the program is up for a vote this year.

Judge said that research shows that education in the first five years of children’s lives is vital to give them a good start on life. Judge said she has a granddaughter in kindergarten now, and the things she does today is “day and night” compared to what her father did back then.

“She’s reading,” which is a result of good preschool education, Judge said. “She loves school.”

Judge said that education funding at the K-12 level is another priority, and the governor is pushing for full allowable growth funding at 2 percent plus an additional $100 million from the state’s reserves for a total of $330 million in new funds for education. That should help prepare students to either pursue college-level education or enter the work force.

Judge said the big question for state lawmakers is “are we providing children everything we can?”

Judge said she wants a success story to tell about state investments helping communities use local resources.

Oskaloosa Elementary Principal Neal Hadden said the money is being well spent in Oskaloosa.

Hadden said this is the third year for the Oskaloosa preschool program at Webster School. He said the second year of the program was an expansion year where the school district worked with the YMCA, Kids’ Corner and SONshine preschools for the program. Also, Musco provided funding to help the preschool programs in Oskaloosa that year, Hadden said.

In the third year of the program, “life is pretty good,” Hadden said. There are about 120 kids in the voluntary 4-year-old preschool program.

“Our partnership has grown,” Hadden said. Now, North Mahaska preschool staff participate in development programs with Oskaloosa, he said.

“It’s nice to have everyone in one building,” said Oskaloosa preschool teacher Sharon Sage of the preschool programs housed at Webster School. “It’s a great opportunity to work together.”

Statewide, during the past three years, 12,500 children have participated in the voluntary 4-year-old preschool program.

“This is a great story here,” she said after her tour at Webster.

Herald Editor Duane Nollen can be reached by email at oskynews@oskyherald.com

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