skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, July 19, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump tells Justice Dept. to seek release of Epstein grand jury testimony; NV education advocates blast freeze on federal funds; and VA leaders push EV adoption as economic, national security imperative.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

An asylum case sparks alarm, protests invoke the late John Lewis, Trump continues to face backlash over the Epstein files and the Senate moves forward with cuts to foreign aid.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Trump administration's axe to clean energy funding could hit rural mom-and-pop businesses hard, cuts also jeopardize Alaska's efforts to boost its power grid using wind and solar, and a small Kansas school district engages new students with a focus on ag.

PA pre-K advocates back governor's funding boost to expand access

play audio
Play

Wednesday, June 5, 2024   

Recent data on pre-K education in Pennsylvania revealed much work remains to improve investments in pre-K education in the state.

In Pennsylvania, about 54% of eligible 3- and 4-year-olds, or about 78,000 kids, do not have access to pre-K. The Pre-K for PA campaign is asking lawmakers to boost funding in the fiscal budget as the June 30 deadline approaches.

Kari King, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, said they support Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposed $33 million increase for pre-K, which would strengthen the sector and expand access to high-quality programs.

"The funds would aim to increase rates for providers," King explained. "Pre-K is an area where, like many other sectors, there's a workforce shortage. And so the funds in the state budget will really go to those programs and an effort to make sure that they're sustainable, and they have their doors open to serve kids with high-quality pre-K."

The Pre-K for PA campaign also asked the General Assembly to approve a proposed investment of $2.7 million for the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program to increase the per-child rate and examine it to equal the pre-K Counts rate increase.

King emphasized only 46% of eligible 3- to 4-year-olds are enrolled in pre-K, while more than 145,000 qualify. She noted several academic studies show high-quality pre-K affects children as they progress through their school-age years into adulthood.

"The positive impacts range from again, on the school side, improved reading and math scores, just school readiness as they enter kindergarten and kind of the social side," King outlined. "An awareness of following rules and raising their hands."

King pointed out the Pre-K for PA campaign consistently reinforces the Keystone State has made great strides with state support. More than $250 million in state funds have supported pre-K and Pennsylvania in the past two years but she argued there is always more the state can do.

Disclosure: Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children/KIDS COUNT contributes to our fund for reporting on Children's Issues, Early Childhood Education, Education, and Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
The U.S. Department of Education has frozen grants that support summer learning, teacher professional development, after-school programs, English-language classes, support for children of migrants, school-based mental health and adult education. (Syda Productions/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Public education advocates are sounding alarms about the upcoming school year because the federal government is holding up about $60 million in funds …


Social Issues

play sound

An Eau Claire resident is speaking out about how federal cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could affect his life and …

Environment

play sound

A cleaner environment through less waste is the goal of a new state organization, the Indiana Composting Council. The council will enlist …


Just 30% of U.S. solar and 57% of wind projects are expected to survive under the new GOP tax and spending law signed by President Donald Trump. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

More than $7 billion in Colorado's GDP and 9,600 jobs are projected to be lost under President Donald Trump's signature tax and spending bill which cu…

Environment

play sound

California receives high marks in a report on the fight against plastic pollution. This is Plastic-free July and the United States of Plastics report…

April's Clean Water Lobby Day was held by Oregon Rural Action and the Stand Up to Factory Farms Coalition in Salem. (Oregon Rural Action)

play sound

Environmental groups say Oregon's new groundwater law, meant to curb pollution, has been diluted to the point they can no longer support it. …

Social Issues

play sound

Groups working to end hunger in Nebraska are reaching out to all parts of the state to train food insecure people to advocate for others facing simila…

Social Issues

play sound

New Mexico demonstrators will join nationwide protests today to oppose policies of the Trump administration. The "Good Trouble Lives On" nonviolent …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021