Go Back Governor Pence Expresses Interest in Expanding Pre-K Education for Disadvantaged Children

Press Release

Governor Mike Pence today sent a letter to Secretary Sylvia Burwell of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expressing interest in expanding pre-K education for disadvantaged children. HHS oversees the Preschool Development Program grants authorized under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

"Because of the success of our first-ever, state-funded pre-K pilot program, I am committed to opening doors of opportunity to serve even more disadvantaged children in our state," said Governor Mike Pence. "Since the On My Way Pre-K pilot program has come online, we've served 2,300 kids in the five pilot project counties. I am committed to growing this program using state and available federal resources."

In 2014, Governor Pence signed into law legislation that created On My Way Pre-K, which was the first-ever state-funded prekindergarten pilot program in Indiana history. The Governor called for the legislature to pass the program, and testified before the Indiana Senate Education & Career Development Committee in support of the bill (House Enrolled Act 1004-2014). The On My Way Pre-K program was approved as a five-county pilot by the Indiana General Assembly, and includes Allen, Jackson, Lake, Marion and Vanderburgh counties. The voluntary, scholarship-based voucher pre-K program awards grants to families of four-year-olds from low-income families who live in one of the five pilot counties. These families can use the grants to access a high-quality prekindergarten program in the school year before they begin kindergarten…

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