FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 6, 2011
Contact: Elise Marsh
804-698-1034
Richmond, VA (Sunday, February 6, 2011) - Delegate Barbara Comstock introduced a budget amendment that would allow Fairfax County Schools to reprogram any portion of its' eligible FY 2012 Virginia Preschool Initiative funds toward completing all-day kindergarten in the 37 schools that do not provide all-day kindergarten. Delegate Comstock issued the following statement about the Budget Amendment which was included in the House Budget voted out of the House Appropriations Committee today:
"I am pleased that the House Appropriations Committee voted unanimously on a budget which included my budget amendment that would allow a school district to shift money for one year from pre-school funds to the effort of completing all-day kindergarten in districts that have not yet achieved all day kindergarten in all of their schools. Many families in my district and around Fairfax are paying for all-day kindergarten but they aren't receiving it. This is simply unfair and is essentially a kindergarten tax. Our area is one of the areas that is still far behind on having full-day kindergarten in all of our schools.
"This budget amendment would help Fairfax County close the gap and provide all day kindergarten in all of our schools. I am proud to work with many or our local parents on this issue, as well as other local delegates, and I look forward to continuing to work with them to get all of our kindergarten students being treated equally."
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