Cuts to Pre-K Program Could Hurt Norcross Students, Teachers

Faced with the prospect of watching the state's lottery-funded HOPE scholarship and Georgia Pre-K programs go broke, Gov. Nathan Deal and state lawmakers have opted instead to make significant changes. 

Bright from the Start, the nationally recognized Pre-K program in Georgia, those changes include shortening the school year from 180 days to 160, increasing class sizes from 20 students to 22 and slashing funding for providers by 6 percent and teachers by 10 percent.

Norcross Patch wanted to learn how the changes would impact local Pre-K programs so, we contacted Rashid Khan, owner of two Kids 'R' Kids schools in Norcross, who expressed serious concern."Pre-K is where we lay the learning foundation for young kids," Khan said.

"There is no hope for HOPE if we can't teach the kids. I do realize there is less funding available, but education is more important than anything else. We can't compromise on their education," he said. "They are the future of our country. And our country is already behind a lot of other countries in the world."

Kids 'R' Kids at 3180 Medlock Bridge Road in Norcross currently has 20 students. There is one teacher and one assistant to teach each of the four classes. But after learning their pay would be cut by 10 percent, two teachers have already announced they will seek other jobs next year and there could be more.

Khan said he understands their dilemma."Teachers don't make that much to begin with," he said. "The average is about $29,000 a year. I was calculating what the assistants would make after the cuts. It works out to about $8.88 per hour or about $12,000 for nine months. That is ridiculous. They can earn more working at McDonald's."

With fewer quality teachers in the classroom and fewer days to learn the subject matter, Khan fears the impact on students could be dramatic. While he said he understands that there is less funding for the program than in the past, he added, "If they had to make cuts, they should have made them somewhere else."

But Bobby Cagle, commissioner of Bright from the Start, the state agency that administers Georgia's nationally recognized Pre-K Program, said in a press release, that by making the cuts 20,000 additional children will be able to participate in the program during the 2011-2012 school year.

"We are pleased to be able to serve 2,000 more children than the previous year, thereby substantially reducing our wait list approximately 25 percent over the entire school year," Cagle said."Our team is working hard to minimize the impact of the coming changes for Georgia’s children and their families, as well as for providers."

Overall, officials say the changes to the Bright from the Start program will save the state $54 million.