Committed to providing students with a solid education It has been a highly productive week at the Statehouse with much progress on key legislation, and the week ended on a high note with an exciting announcement on the budget on Friday morning. After many reports of higher than expected revenues for the state, the Governor has announced a $150 million increase in K-12 education spending and a complete extension of full-day kindergarten to every school in Indiana. As Vice-Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, I have expressed my commitment to a fiscally responsible budget with no tax increases, and this announcement falls in line with that commitment. Some of the increased revenue will remain in the state's reserves, but providing all Hoosier children with a quality K-12 education, and full-day kindergarten is critical to giving them a solid start. Full-day kindergarten provides an excellent education booster for children and can help ensure that students are on track for long-term academic success. Specifically, full-day kindergarten gives educators increased flexibility to meet the needs of students. Educators are able to develop learning programs for children at all developmental levels and have more time to drive home important academic concepts. Full-day kindergarten can ensure a student is on track for long-term academic success, especially among low-income and minority students. A study of full-day kindergarten programs show that it had academic, social, and behavioral benefits for the students, and the full-day kindergarten children performed significantly better on standardized test scores than their half-day counterparts in later grades. It is a great, positive step forward for our children and the future of our state that we are financially able to increase the funding for our K-12 education program and provide an extension of full-day kindergarten to all Hoosier children across the state. These kids are our future entrepreneurs, workers, teachers, and leaders, and it is important that we do our best to provide them with the necessary high-quality education needed to ensure their future success. Early childhood programs, such as Indiana's full day kindergarten grant, are sound investments for Indiana's students-not to mention our economy and workforce. -30- State Rep. Suzanne Crouch (R-Evansville)
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