May 4 , 2007 - Children from middle income families are losing out when it comes to their education.

According to Dr. Steve Barnett, a national leader in early education, that is because they don't have access to pre-k.

The state legislature is considering adding more pre-k classes.  The proposed state budget, now in the legislature, includes $25 million for new pre-k classes.

If only at-risk students can apply, school districts said they will request an additional 220 to 225 more classrooms bringing the total number of four year olds in state-funded pre-k to more than 17,000.

This would bring the total number of four year olds in state-funded pre-k to more than 17,000.

Unfortunately, that number is about one-fourth of the total number of children that age.

The pre-k program is for at-risk children, children who are from low income families, are disabled, in state custody, English language learners, or have a parent overseas in the military.

It does not include middle income children.

Dr. Lana Seivers said, “The biggest, biggest complaint we get in our office is, ‘Wait, my child doesn't receive free or reduced lunch but I want them to be in a high quality program too, why can't I?'"

Dr. Barnett, the Director of the National Institute of Early Education Research at Rutgers University, said, “every young child in Tennessee ought to have the opportunity for a good education."

On Friday, Dr. Barrett told people attending a pre-k summit in Nashville that middle income children are in an economic gap when it comes to pre-k that many public systems are providing pre-k for the poor, and the wealthy can afford to pay for high quality private pre-schools.

He said, "There are children who simply, their parents simply can't afford the program. Mom stays home she'd like to send the child to pre-school but they can't afford it on one income."

Dr. Barnett said the children are in the majority and said as they get older they'll have a one in ten chance of failing a grade, and a one in ten chance of dropping out.

He said, “If you're worried about school failure and how to prevent it you cannot fix that problem just by focusing on poor kids."

The ultimate goal of the administration is to get enough pre-k classes in public schools so that any child, who wants to go, can.

They hope to get there by adding a couple of hundred classrooms at a time.

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