Editorial: Kindergarten plan fails

Thursday, Jan. 4, 2007 | 7:03 a.m.

T he first of new Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons' promised "fingerprints" on the state budget appeared this week, as he wiped full-day kindergarten off the proposed $7 billion budget plan left by former Gov. Kenny Guinn.

After being sworn in this week, Gibbons said he would not support the expansion of a pilot program for at-risk schools because he is not sure the state has the money beyond this budget cycle to support full-day kindergarten for every child in Nevada. He also said he has yet to see evidence that the program works.

The governor, whose education platform boiled down to the inane Education First initiative, is making a huge mistake in his first major policy decision, basing it on faulty logic.

To begin with, if the Legislature deems full-day kindergarten as being important to Nevadans, current and future lawmakers will fund it.

The proof of full-day kindergarten's success has been documented. Studies have shown that full-day kindergarten has a markedly positive effect on children, including learning and developmental gains superior to those of children in half-day kindergarten programs.

That is why the state's Democratic legislative leaders and Guinn, a Republican, have supported it. Incoming Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, is drawing up a bill to fund a statewide full-day kindergarten program.

In his inaugural address, Gibbons called for a bipartisan effort to "reclaim the American dream," which he said was "a dream of home ownership, safe streets and bountiful opportunity."

The governor will have a chance to demonstrate bipartisanship by working with Democrats, and he can create a "bountiful opportunity" by supporting education.

The governor would be wise to rethink his position on full-day kindergarten. Creating statewide full-day kindergarten would be a strong step toward providing our children the type of education they deserve.