United Way's Public Policy Success

We are celebrating the fruits of an amendment to a bill passed in 3rd Called Session in 2006 that entitled pre-k access to children of active duty or activated reservist military personnel and any children of military personnel who were killed, wounded, or missing in action. The Texas Education Agency recently compiled reports on the number of children in each Texas school district that were eligible for early childhood education programs during the 2007-2008 school year. In our community, 62 children of military families became eligible and enrolled in pre-kindergarten as a result of the new legislation.

According to a comprehensive study by the Texas Education Agency, pre-k enrollment costs Texas approximately $3,614 per child per year, meaning that over $225,000 was brought into our community. Given the future fiscal benefits of investing in early childhood education, a conservative estimate for the long-term return on investment for the kids now enrolled in pre-k in Central Texas as a result of this bill during the first year since its passage exceeds $745,000.