September 20, 2006 - Tennessee 's pre-kindergarten program is better off without the headaches that come with federal funding, Gov. Phil Bredesen said Wednesday.

A hypothetical federal grant of $5,000 per pre-K pupil probably would come with a 400-page manual about how the money could be spent, Bredesen told a group of educators and pre-K supporters at Vanderbilt University.

Bredesen said if he is re-elected, he would work to expand eligibility for the program to all students whose parents want to send their children to pre-K. The program is limited to poor and "at-risk" 4-year-olds.

The governor said he would most likely propose the broader eligibility levels in the 2008 legislative session.

A major challenge will be to keep state lawmakers enthusiastic about adding more funding to the program over the years, Bredesen said.

"I think the test will come the first time it's a tight budget year," he said. "We'll really find out whether this is at the top or at the bottom of people's priority lists."

Bredesen got a $20 million increase in pre-K funding passed by the legislature this year, good for 227 new classrooms, or 5,000 more 4-year olds, and bringing the total funding up to $55 million per year.

About a third of the state's about 75,000 eligible pre-K students are enrolled in the program, Bredesen said.