Mayor Pushes For Quality Pre-K In Philadelphia
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Mayor of Philadelphia Jim Kenney and Pennsylvania's Education Secretary got a first-hand look at a new day care center in the Northeast.
A group of 15 shy toddlers listened intently as Mayor Kenney read a story to them at the newly-opened Kinder Academy in Rhawnhurst. Executive Director Leslie Spina says there's plenty of demand, but her center is half-full.
"We had families at the door, ready to come in. But we didn't have the funding," said Spina.
The stopgap state budget released money for 1,500 seats citywide under the Pre-K Counts program, but the governor's budget proposes funding for 1,500 more.
State Education Secretary Pedro Rivera says the Wolf administration continues to fight for a state budget. Kenney, who made quality pre-K one of his campaign priorities, says he's moving ahead with his own plan.
"We're going to accept from the state whatever we get. And we'll be either disappointed or thankful or both. But we have a plan going forward to really do something on a city level," said Kenney.
Kenney says he's still assembling a public-private strategy to pay for universal pre-K in the city.
