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kindergarten
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SACRAMENTO-

A group of lawmakers led by Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg are backing a plan to expand pre-kindergarten classes for four-year old children in the state.

The benefits of such programs have long been known, but budget cuts in recent meant limited programs at the option of school districts.  A state budget surplus prompted the introduction of a bill that would cost nearly $200 million in the first year, escalating to nearly a billion dollars in year five.

But lawmakers say it is actually a cost-cutting measure that saves $7 dollars on remedial and other programs for every dollar spent.

Steinberg said concerns over funding depleted state pension funds and increasing the state’s emergency reserve fund can be addressed by a budget surplus estimated at over $3 billion.