SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - South Dakota is one of six states that doesn't fund preschool and even though two measures that would have established pilot programs failed, advocates say the door is open.
Kathy Cruse with the South Dakota Head Start Association says there are great benefits to funding early learning, particularly for kids from low-income families who may not be able to afford preschool. She says studies show that preschool education can close the achievement gap between low-income and affluent students.
Cruse says the issue is highlighted in rural South Dakota where parents struggle to find childcare for their children. She say there are areas of desert on the state, "where people do not have access to child care." She say that care is imperative in a state where a high percentage of both parents work out of the home.
She says one solution is to help elementary schools in those areas provide child care and preschool programs which would offset the costs of building new facilities.
Even though both pieces of legislation were deferred, Cruse says it was state Senator Billie Sutton, a Democrat from Burke, who brought the legislation forward.
She says at least Sutton opened the door to exploring the possibility of the state funding preschool and "there are some really good conversations taking place."
KIDS COUNT offers a summation of how legislation impacting South Dakota children fared last session on its website.