Lt. Governor Patty Judge visited Iowa schools today to talk about the importance of preschool. The state started the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program in 2007. Almost 13,000 kids are currently enrolled in the program.
The Lt. Governor's visit to a Keokuk school was covered by KHQA:
"Kids in Iowa are getting a big head start on their education.
n 2007, the state started the Iowa Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for 4 year olds.
On Tuesday morning Iowa Lt. Governor Patty Judge made an appearance at Hawthorn Elementary school in Keokuk to talk about the success of the program so far.
Statewide the program costs about 80 million dollars.
There are already about 13 thousand kids who are enrolled in it.
The goal of the program is to get the kids ready for kindergarten by teaching them basic skills like reading.Judge says, 'This is really a critical experience for children and their lifelong ability to learn. They go into kindergarten prepared at a level a few years ago was really unheard of.'"