RELEASE: Kresha: Early-ed scholarships will put children on path to success

ST. PAUL, MN—Rep. Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls, issued the following statement regarding the release of the House Education Finance omnibus bill, which will receive its first committee hearing Wednesday.

 

"The House Education budget proposal clearly prioritizes disadvantaged children who have tremendous potential but are oftentimes overlooked," Kresha said. "Chair Loon has taken bold steps by including $30 million in increased funding for targeted early learning scholarships, and I'm grateful for her work with the bipartisan coalition of legislators and stakeholders on this important issue. These children are too often overlooked in lieu of athletic facilities and expensive education mandates."

 

"I am proud of Chair Loon for not simply bowing to education special interest groups and for being an advocate to the children who can benefit the most from early learning."

 

The Education Finance omnibus bill includes $30 million in increased funding for early learning scholarships, $9.5 million in increased funding for school readiness aid, and $3.5 million for Parent Aware Quality Rating System expansion to rural Minnesota.

 

Kresha is the chief author of multiple early learning scholarship proposals, and has been an outspoken proponent of early learning scholarships as a way to address Minnesota's achievement gap and fight child maltreatment.

 

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