A pilot program to begin experimenting with pre-K education in Idaho schools is gaining support, with bipartisan sponsorship and an array of groups, from Idaho Business for Education, to Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney, to the United Way, the YMCA and KidsCount endorsing the move. “They’re all coming out in support,” said Rep. Hy Kloc, D-Boise, who’s planning a press conference on the proposal Monday.

Rep. Doug Hancey, R-Rexburg, who’s co-sponsoring the measure with Kloc, said, “Statistically we know that a preschool program like that really helps children in kindergarten through third grade. … Those are the most formative years, and the more they can gain in those formative years, I think is worthwhile.” Hancey, a longtime supporter of education who helped raise thousands for his local schools foundation, said he thinks a pilot program has appeal, in part because it’s a modest step, calling for a three-year, voluntary experiment with one class each at five public elementary schools around the state.  No one would be required to attend, and no school would be required to take part.

The pilot project approach, he said, will “let people see: Does it work? Does it bring in quality, and does it better prepare our very young students for the educational process they’re going to be entering into for the next 12 years?”

Kloc has been working on the bill for the past year, and has pressed forward despite some resistance from those in Idaho who fear government involvement in early childhood issues. His bill, which hasn’t yet been introduced, calls for private grants to fund just over half the cost of the program, with the state kicking in just under $200,000 a year for each of the three years. Hancey said, “We have a funding problem – we’re a poor state, we can’t put all the money in we’d like to put in. We understand that.” But he said a step like the pilot program could help Idaho “improve our educational culture,” in part by involving parents with interacting with their children’s teachers at an early age.

“I just think it’s a good idea, and it’s relatively cheap,” he said. “These are your children and your grandchildren. Do as much as you can. Try and offer them the best choices they’ve got in life.”