For some time now, the state of California has been eyeballing the idea of "universal preschool," or, at least, guaranteed availability of high quality preschool programs for children whose parents can't afford it themselves. Today, the First 5 California Commission -- the statewide body that oversees spending of a portion of the Proposition 10 tobacco tax monies for early childhood -- has a chance to do more than just look.
The commission staff has recommended committing $100 million of the state's dwindling tobacco tax funds as matching grants for counties or school districts that want to provide universal preschool. There are good reasons for the commission, chaired by film producer and children's advocate Rob Reiner, to agree.
When it comes to school readiness, California is a state in conflict. On the one hand, it has established some of the toughest academic standards in the country, asking kindergartners to trade nap time and pretend play for reading instruction and math games. On the other, it has failed to provide a comprehensive, high quality pre-kindergarten program for hundreds of thousands of children -- many of them non-English speakers from poor or working class families -- that arrive each year with no preschool experience.
Other states have begun to heed what solid research has shown -- that quality preschool programs more than pay for themselves by saving on the down-the-road costs of special education, grade repetition, incarceration and welfare. For nearly a decade, Georgia has offered preschool to any 4-year-old whose parents want it. Combining state and federal funds, Ohio provides preschool to nearly all 3-and 4-year-olds. By ballot initiative, Florida voters recently ordered their Legislature to fund and implement universal preschool.

The proposal before the commission today could help draw a road map to universal preschool in California. Over the next five to seven years, several counties would apply to receive substantial commission grants to help provide preschool for all comers, putting up some of their own tobacco tax monies as matching funds. The counties would likely work through either their own offices of education or individual school districts.

These initiatives could serve as demonstration projects for the state as it moves toward designing and funding a statewide network of preschools. Such progress is timely, warranted and welcome.