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Pinellas official urges state funding for full‑day pre‑K after local reading gains
Summary
Pinellas County school board member Laura Heine told the committee Pinellas' move to full‑day pre‑K for low‑income students helped raise third‑grade reading by 26% and estimated statewide full‑day pre‑K would cost about $375 million.
Pinellas County School Board member Laura Heine testified during public comment that local investments in full‑day pre‑K helped raise third‑grade reading results in Pinellas by 26 percentage points over seven years.
"In the last 7 years our third grade reading rate has gone up 26% while the state has stayed flat," Heine told senators and asked the committee to consider funding full‑day pre‑K statewide. She noted that VPK is currently funded for three hours per day and that Pinellas uses local funds to provide full‑day care for children at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. Heine estimated a statewide cost to fund full‑day pre‑K at "around $375,000,000."
Commissioner Stasi Kamutsis and governor's staff said the governor's proposal includes $486 million for VPK and $483 million for VPK operations and offered to work with districts on operational details. Committee members asked for more data on kindergarten readiness and reading gains; Pinellas offered to provide follow‑up details.
No appropriation decision was taken in this hearing; the testimony adds local evidence to the committee's consideration of early‑learning funding.
