newsobserver.com projects - More at Four would lose $40m in budget - Comments

Re: More at Four would lose $40m in budget

cecilesmom — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:25:21 -0400

There is an existing bill to merge Smart Start and More at Four, however the senate budget calls for two separate programs--Smart Start as it is and More at Four moved to another division of DHHS.

Re: More at Four would lose $40m in budget

reeses — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 06:21:38 -0400

This is a great move by the Senate, hope the House will agree!!!

Re: More at Four would lose $40m in budget

dahedgehog — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:59:11 -0400

Page G-1, Item 8. DCD is not the same as Smart Start.

Re: More at Four would lose $40m in budget

jjsmith2 — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:05:01 -0400

Look back at the Budget. More at 4 is being moved from DPI to DHHS and is being merged with Smart Start. There is no need for administrative redudancy.

Re: More at Four would lose $40m in budget

dahedgehog — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:03:49 -0400

JJsmith2,
Perhaps members of the media are forgetting to mention a More at Four and Smart Start merger because.....that's not what the Senate budget calls for!

Re: More at Four would lose $40m in budget

j1c2kp — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:30:45 -0400

Once upon a time kindergarten was to get children ready for school, now we have to get four-year-olds ready for kindergarten.

Re: More at Four would lose $40m in budget

jjsmith2 — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:28:49 -0400

Why are members of the media forgetting to mention that More at 4 and Smart Start are being merged?

More at Four would lose $40m in budget

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:29:56 -0400

The state's preschool program took a big hit in the Senate budget.

More at Four would lose $40 million — about 25 percent of its money — under the budget tentatively approved Wednesday.

Child care administrators said the More at Four cut would make it difficult to sustain a high-quality preschool program.

Started by former Gov. Mike Easley in 2001, More at Four has the goal of getting at-risk four-year-olds ready for kindergarten. The most recent evaluation showed that about one-fifth of the students spoke little or no English and 90 percent were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

This year, the budget was $170.6 million, with $84 million coming from lottery proceeds. (N&O)