Gov. Nathan Deal floated the idea Wednesday of combining state and federal early-learning programs, a move that could be a first in the country.
Deal told the Athens Rotary Club that he is "seriously looking at consolidating” the federally funded Head Start program for young children from low-income families and the state’s lottery-funded pre-kindergarten program.
“If we were able to consolidate that -- bring it under one unified approach to pre-k -- I think we could show some very positive results in years to come,” Deal said, according to a report in The Athens Banner-Herald.
Erin Hames, Deal's deputy chief of staff, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution later that consolidating the two programs would require a first-of-its-kind waiver from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"There may not be that great a likelihood that would happen," Hames said.
She added that the possibility of a blended program with a sliding scale based on family income was first considered earlier this year as the governor and Legislature contemplated cutting costs in the pre-k program. "At this point, it is an idea," she said.
Georgia receives about $188 million for Head Start, which serves 3- and 4-year-olds from families near or below the poverty line. Studies show that those children are often at risk of dropping out, and that early learning improves their chances of success in school.
Facing a $1.4 billion budget shortfall, Deal and legislators cut $54 million this year from the state pre-k program, eliminating funding for 20 school days but adding 2,000 slots to shorten the waiting list. It is open to all 4-year-olds.
Deal acknowledged there would be challenges in blending the two programs. “They are different agendas,” he said in Athens. “They are different schedules. They are different criteria for teachers.”
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