JEFFERSON CITY — I am pleased the governor signed into law House Bill 1689, a very important, far-reaching piece of legislation dealing with early childhood education.

According to the Association of American Family Physicians, a minimum of one in five children has a significant issue learning to read. And if problems are not handled before third grade, there is a potential for life-long reading and cognitive setbacks. If reading problems are not addressed by third grade, at least 75 percent of those students will still have the same problems in ninth grade and less than 2 percent of those young men and women will graduate high school.

With this in mind, preschool children should be given the best possible start from which to enter K-12 learning. HB 1689 helps provide that by allowing school districts that already have an early childhood program to get funding from the foundation formula under a phase-in period based on the number of students who receive free or reduced-price lunch. This would begin in the 2015-16 school year for unaccredited schools, continue the following year for provisionally accredited schools, and accredited schools the year after that.

I handled this measure in the Senate because it is solid legislation that offers far-reaching improvements for Missouri preschools. The addition of this preschool option will give many of our children the springboard needed to make the best of a public school education.

This legislation, brought to me by the House sponsor, Rep. Kathryn Swan, R-Cape Girardeau, and co-sponsor, Rep. John Wright, D-Rocheport, is certainly a strong first step toward ensuring the best possible outcomes for our students’ futures. It is by continuing to make legislative investments, such as HB 1689, that we will see huge dividends at all levels of education in the Missouri.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or 573-751-2272, or by fax at 573-526-7381.