Kindergarten games

Legislators justifiably criticize Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for eliminating childcare funding from the state budget, but they also bear some responsibility for cuts to this and other vital programs. By giving in — once again — to pressure from the state teachers union, the Legislature is wasting $350 million that could have more than covered the cost of childcare for the working poor.

The state was poised to save that amount under a bill by Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) that was primarily aimed at changing the age at which children can start kindergarten. Until now, children entering kindergarten had to have turned 5 years old by Dec. 2; the bill, which has since been signed into law, moved the date gradually earlier, to Sept. 1, ensuring that children are mature enough for today’s academically rigorous kindergartens.

The original bill would have resulted in lower enrollments in the public schools over the next 15 years or so, saving the state close to $700 million a year during that time. Half of that money would have been spent on state preschool for children who missed the cutoff date, further ensuring their readiness to succeed in school. The other half would have returned to the state general fund for use as needed.

But both the California Teachers Assn. and the state PTA objected to the bill, saying that all the savings should be spent on public schools. As passed, the bill requires school districts to offer a two-year kindergarten, rather than simply preschool, to those younger children. That creates jobs for credentialed teachers but costs twice as much. The state realized no savings.

Make no mistake, SB 1381 is still a good law that will get children off to a more successful academic start. And if the state were flush with money, there would be no objection to the two-year kindergarten. But given the current economic climate, this was a better bill when it addressed both the educational needs of young children and the need to balance the budget. The money could have covered the $256 million that Schwarzenegger vetoed in childcare funding, plus $80 million in direct child welfare services that also was cut, with money left over. It’s the job of the CTA and PTA to lobby hard for schools funding; the Legislature’s job is to resist such demands when they run counter to the greater needs of the state.