The conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation, wants to see some educational benefit before endorsing expanding pre-kindergarten offerings. Policy analyst Mary Clare Reim points to research efforts which have no benefits from kids who attended head start programs.
“Instead of putting money into a program that has shaky -- at best -- academic research backing it,” Reim suggests, “I would say putting funds into an expansion of school choice programs would be the better way to go.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott wants the Legislature to invest $236 million in what he calls "high-quality Pre-K." He wants that money in the budget lawmakers will pass before the session ends in May.
Reim and the Foundation are less enthusiastic.
“We need to prove that this has some sort of long-term positive gain and the research is just not there to prove that,” she says.