LANSING – Michigan saw some $1.15 billion more in the 2008-09 budget year because of early childhood education spending over the last 25 years, and those investments must continue to see those savings in the future, according to a report released Monday by the Early Childhood Investment Corporation.

The report, by Wilder Research of St. Paul, Minnesota, showed a mixture of savings from unneeded services and additional tax revenue from the greater income earned by those going through the early childhood programs.

“We hope this report will provide some new insight and help guide our elected officials,” said Judy Samelson, CEO of the group. She said in past budget discussions, leaders have said it was difficult to dedicate money to programs where the payout was so far down the road.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan said the state needs to look at its educational investment more broadly and more wisely. “It’s kind of brain dead that we spend $1 billion per grade but we don’t spend it where we can get the biggest bang for the buck,” he said.

He urged districts, if necessary, to shift money from high school programs to early childhood as the best way to ensure students are prepared for college.

And Chris Holman, publisher of the Greater Lansing Business Monthly, said the business community should be supporting investment in early childhood education to ensure small business growth in the coming years.

“We don’t flourish in my sector without quality people, without creative people, without innovative people,” Holman said. “Twenty-first century businesses locate where the smart people are.”

The supporters are urging the Legislature to restore both early childhood education spending and childcare spending to 2007-08 levels and to approve the additional $236 million needed to open the early childhood program to all eligible children in the state. Samelson said there are currently some 35,000 children who are eligible but cannot participate.

They also urged that the programs be returned to mandatory within the school aid budget to protect them from local cuts.

House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.) said his caucus would at least fight to preserve the current funding levels.

“House Democrats continue to fight to protect funding for early education because we know that investing in Michigan’s kids pays off multiple times over,” Dillon said. “Early education prepares kids to thrive in the classroom, learn the skills they need to compete for good-paying jobs and become successful adults. Investing in early education is critical for Michigan’s future.”

Matt Marsden, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester), said the programs can only see more funding, or avoid cuts themselves, if cuts can be found elsewhere.

“The reason that we introduced the reforms we introduced last week is a means of finding revenue without having to cut further,” Marsden said.

Based on studies of graduation rates for those who began in early childhood programs and crime, income and public assistance rates for those who do not graduate, the study found some additional revenue, but mostly savings from unneeded programs both in the schools and for the state in general, said Paul Anton, one of the researchers who worked on the report.

“There’s more than graduation as a result of early childhood education,” Anton said. “The cuts may save you a dollar today, but they’re going to cost you in the future.”

The report found some $33 million in additional income and sales tax revenue last fiscal year because more children who go through the programs are expected to get at least a high school diploma and so earn higher annual salaries.

The largest item of savings to governmental units was $214 million for juvenile justice programs. Because those in early childhood programs do better in school, they are less likely to get in trouble with the law, Anton said.

And that crime reduction meant a $259 million reduction in losses to victims because of youth and adults who do not turn to crime because they are doing well in school or have graduated and are employed, the report said.

Schools saved $136 million because children were better prepared for school and did not have to repeat grades.

The report did not account for the additional economic activity because of the higher earning power expected of those who went through the programs, Anton said.

Flanagan said there are still places to cut at both the state and local level to ensure money for early childhood programs. He said increasing health care premium co-pays for teachers and changing the retirement system would allow districts to shift money to other programs.

But he said schools also could change how they assign teachers, particularly in higher grades. Class size is important in elementary school, but not as much in the upper grades, he said.

“Class size is a work issue, not a child issue,” he said, adding his comment would again likely anger teacher unions and potentially his daughter, who is a high school teacher.

This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com

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