A new report by the Southern Education Foundation, says the south's rate of enrollment for 3- and 4-year olds averages 19-percent.
That may not seem like much, but it's nearly twice as much as the nation's other regions combined.
Here in Georgia the figures are even higher. That's because nearly 30 percent of eligible three and four year olds are enrolled in pre-k.
Andrea Young helped to author the report and says the payoff extends over time.
"The outcome from the kids who had pre-k were better in terms of their high school completion rates. So while we don't want to say that pre-k is a silver bullet, the reality is that it does have a lifelong impact on the children who get the benefit of it."
The report also shows investing in pre-k saves states money.
They don't spend as much on remedial education in higher grades.
That may not seem like much, but it's nearly twice as much as the nation's other regions combined.
Here in Georgia the figures are even higher. That's because nearly 30 percent of eligible three and four year olds are enrolled in pre-k.
Andrea Young helped to author the report and says the payoff extends over time.
"The outcome from the kids who had pre-k were better in terms of their high school completion rates. So while we don't want to say that pre-k is a silver bullet, the reality is that it does have a lifelong impact on the children who get the benefit of it."
The report also shows investing in pre-k saves states money.
They don't spend as much on remedial education in higher grades.
