LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — Free preschool for all. That’s one of a few proposals Gov. Gretchen Whitmer unveiled during Wednesday's State of the State address and one that many parents are anxious to learn more about.
The governor touted the plan as potentially saving families $10,000 per year, but some Republicans wonder how much such a plan would end up costing taxpayers.
With two kids under the age of 2, Christy Seitz and her husband Jeff already have their hands full. Soon to be added on to their to-do list is finding a preschool.
“It's been interesting. Everyone kind of freaked me out with the whole 'you have to get in early, start looking now,'” Seitz said.
Seitz plans to enroll her son when he turns 3. She recently started looking at options and was surprised at the cost.
“It's been more than I thought it was going to be," Seitz said. "Talking to my mom — who's my first point of reference — I was like, 'Is this what you paid?' And she’s like 'no.”’
Seitz estimates when both her kids are in preschool at the same time, she’ll pay roughly $3,400 a year. It's a cost she’s willing to pay but one not every family can afford.
"Unfortunately, affordable preschool is too hard to get for too many,” Whitmer said during her State of the State address.
Whitmer made the cost of pre-K a priority during her speech, unveiling a plan to expand an already existing program for at-risk and low-income families to include all Michigan 4-year-olds.
“Let’s expand our bipartisan preschool effort — the Great Start Readiness Program — so every 4-year-old in Michigan can access a free, public preschool education by the end of my second term,” Whitmer said.
Immediately after the speech, Democrats in the Legislature applauded the move.
“My ears really perked up when I heard free preschool for all 4-year-olds,” said Sen. Dayne Polehanki, a Democrat from Livonia. "I can't tell you, as a former educator, how big a game changer that would be for student academic achievement over the long run.”
“As the Chairman of the pre-K-12 budget, it’s something that I am incredibly excited about taking a look and investing in,” Rep. Darrin Camilleri, a Democrat from Brownstown, said. "No one should have to pay for a preschool education. We know the outcomes are so clear.”
However, some Republicans were skeptical and want to see specifics of the plan.
“It may have some applicability depending on what income levels are, but free pre-K for everyone? I mean, if someone has millions and millions of dollars, are we going to fund their pre-K,” wondered Sen. Jim Runestad, a Republican from White Lake.
Runestad was also concerned how much the program will cost taxpayers, which was not made clear.
“Everything has a cost. If we’re taking things out of this bucket, we’re losing money out of this bucket," Runestad said. "There’s a lot of needs out there, so this is something we're going to need to make sure what she’s proposing is going to actually do what she’s saying and is going to actually do good. We’ll see.”
As for Seitz, she believes the cost will be worth it and feels preschool is an important step for all kids to take.
“It’s just needed for everybody," Seitz said. "I want my kid to go to school with kids who have the same opportunity to go.”
Whitmer is expected to deliver a proposed budget in the coming weeks.
