On Wednesday, through an executive order, Gov. Bev Perdue reinforced a recent court ruling that all at-risk children should have access to enroll in the state's pre-kindergarten program.   

Child advocates across the region welcomed the recent ruling by Wake County Superior Judge Howard Manning, who declared it unconstitutional to deny at-risk four-year-olds access to quality pre-kindergarten services.  Earlier this year, despite the evidence pointing to the effectiveness of the program, the NC General Assembly cut 20 percent of the More at Four pre-kindergarten program.

Perdue's order sets a two-month timeline for the state to serve every eligible 4 year-old who applies for the pre-kindergarten program. There are an estimated 7,000 eligible four-year-olds in Mecklenburg County, and currently only around 4,000 public pre-kindergarten slots. The leadership of the General Assembly has not been eager to provide additional funding to implement the ruling, making it likely the issue will end up back in court.

Locally, pre-kindergarten made big news this year when the Bright Beginnings pre-k program was recommended for a $10 million reduction due to the budget constraints. With your help, agencies like Council for Children's Rights, Child Care Resources Inc. and Smart Start of Mecklenburg County worked to lead an effective effort to ensure every Bright Beginnings slot will be maintained in the coming year.