A legislative commission says that for the state to reach its goal of universal public preschool in the next four years, it should commit more funding and be more flexible in credentialing educators.
The commission was formed to help guide the state toward its goal of universal public preschool access by 2026, which was established in a law passed earlier this year.
This week, the group approved several recommendations, including calling for the state to boost incentives and funding to help districts start up and operate public preschool programs.
The commission also recommends continued funding of a statewide coordinator, as well as a a team of regional coordinators, for outreach and to support publicly funded preschool partnerships within local communities.
Sue Powers, of the Aroostook County Action Program, said at a meeting earlier this week that local support is a key to success.
"Someone that is more locally based, working with districts, to support this work and the partnership work," Power said. "I think it could be critical to the success as we're moving forward."
Democratic Sen. Eloise Vitelli said that expanding public preschool access statewide will require partnerships between public schools, child care facilities and Head Start providers.
"Our goal is to start to make sure that all of these entities are aligning, so they can, in fact, create a system that supports children and families," Vitelli said.
More than 50% of four-year-olds in Maine are enrolled in public pre-K.
Recent reports have found that startup costs, staffing issues and a lack of classroom space are barriers to expansion.
The commission's final report is expected to be made public in the coming weeks.
