Counties collaborate on Pre-K classes

Georgia does not have the Pre-K slots needed to serve all the state’s four-year-olds. However, the actions of people like Dr. Donnell Carley, director of Mu-Dear Pre-School in Thomas County, are worth noting. He’s making sure all the spots out there are used.

Like many counties across the state, Grady County doesn’t have enough lottery-funded Pre-K spots to serve all its four-year-olds. Neighboring Thomas County, on the other hand, has too many slots. Fortunately, instead of letting county lines stand in the way of education for Georgia’s four-year-olds, the two counties have joined hands.  Carley has offered up the remaining spots at his center to Thomas County kids. He truly understands the importance of strong foundations for Georgia’s kids.

THOMASVILLE, GA (WALB) – Its a program growing in popularity all over the state. So much so, in Grady county, they don’t have room for the 40 children on the waiting list.   “We did request 2 expansion classes from Bright from the Start and as of this date we have not received them and I don’t think we will,” says Sandy Mudra, Grady County Pre-K Director.

Some of the pre-k programs in Thomas County on the other hand, have been struggling to fill their classes.   At Mu-Dear Pre-School in Thomasville, Administrative Director, Dr. Donnell Carley says pre-k is popular, but isn’t growing quite as fast.  “We’ve had a low rate of children. It was told to us a few years ago that its due to a low birth rate in Thomas County.”

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President Is Rebuffed on Program for Children

This ruling negates the Bush Administration’s directive to restrict SCHIP eligibility, calling for – among other things – states covering 100 percent of eligible children at 200 FPL before any consideration of children above that level.

The Bush administration violated federal law last year when it restricted states’ ability to provide health insurance to children of middle-income families, and its new policy is therefore unenforceable, lawyers from the Government Accountability Office said Friday.

The ruling strengthens the hand of at least 22 states, including New York and New Jersey, that already provide such coverage or want to do so. And it significantly reduces the chance that the new policy can be put into effect before President Bush leaves office in nine months.

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