Funding, space hold up preschool for all in Md.

“Nationally, it’s an issue,” said Kathy Wick, a teacher specialist in the Early Childhood Education Office for Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

“Certainly funding and space is an issue for us. In Anne Arundel, it’s just not something that’s not even in the planning stages right now.”

A universal preschool is funded by tax dollars and is either voluntary or mandatory for all children from 2 to 5 years old without preference to needs or economic factors.

Some states, such as Georgia, already offer universal prekindergarten for 4-year-olds, but Maryland does not.

A state task force released a report earlier this year that called for universal preschool for all Maryland 4-year-olds by 2014.

The state Department of Education requires prekindergarden programs to be made available first to economically disadvantaged students. If space is available, then students from other backgrounds, like those who speak English as a second language, can be considered, school officials said.

Anne Arundel, Howard, Harford and Baltimore counties have prekindergarden programs for 4-year-olds, but they don’t include everyone.

“It’s mostly for children that have at-risk factors,”  Wick said.

Supporters argue universal preschool improves test scores and lowers the achievement gap, though critics say it will jeopardize funding for K-12 public schools.

“Most states and the federal government already spend billions of dollars each year to provide preschool/day care for families in need — and universal preschool extends that subsidy to the middle class and rich, who don’t need it,” said Diane Flynn Keith, founder of UniversalPreschool.com, a nonpartisan advocacy campaign opposed to universal preschool.

“It’s a highly pressurized situation. Most of these young children are just not ready for this,” she said in an e-mail. “It’s simply welfare for child day care.”

jkowalkowski@baltimoreexaminer.com