Each fall, Pre-K Now reports the final pre-kindergarten funding figures, and the stories behind them, from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. On the pages in this section you can quickly view what is said about your state in 
"Votes Count: Legislative Action on Pre-K Fiscal Year 2009."
In spite of worsening economic conditions across the country, pre-kindergarten programs remained a legislative priority for most states in fiscal year 2009. Thirty two state legislatures and the Council of the District of Columbia increased their investment in high quality, voluntary programs, bringing total state pre-k funding to an all-time high of $5.2 billion nationally. As a result, 46,000 additional children across the country will have an opportunity to attend pre-k and have a better chance to succeed in school, life, and within the global economy.
Pre-K for All: Achieving the Goal
For fiscal year 2009, The Louisiana State Legislature and the Council of the District of Columbia joined an elite list of seven states across the country phasing in or already offering voluntary pre-k for all age-eligible children. Providing immediate financial relief to struggling families and building their own states’ long-term human capital, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Washington D.C. and West Virginia have wisely invested in all their youngest constituents and their economic future.
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District of Columbia
Louisiana
The Purple Policy: Building a Bipartisan Tradition of Early Education
A 2008 Survey by Hart Research Associates and American Viewpoint shows that 67% of American voters believe state and local governments should fund voluntary pre-k for all children. In FY09, many Democratic and Republican leaders fell in step with their constituents. Their purple pre-k policy is smart, not partisan, politics which promotes early literacy, academic success, and economic opportunity for years to come
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Virginia
Raiding the Piggybank: Plundering Funds for Children to Balance Budgets
Amidst this year’s stories of pre-k heroism, some lawmakers chose to take the other route. Stealing money from critical children’s programs to fill gaps in their statewide budgets didn’t go over well with us and certainly won’t prove popular with voters.
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Kentucky
Arizona
At the Frontier: Pre-K Wilderness States Take First Steps
Despite scores of rigorous studies revealing both the short- and long-term benefits of quality pre-k, 12 states across the country have no state pre-k program, leaving children and families in what we've come to call the "pre-k wilderness." This year, Hawaii and Rhode Island lawmakers took small but encouraging steps toward establishing state-funded pre-k. With continued leadership from state policymakers, both could soon join the majority of states in providing voluntary pre-k.
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Hawaii
Rhode Island
Related Materials
Research Reports
Highlights from "Votes Count"
