Forstadt, Trostel Quoted in BDN Article on Increased Pre-K Enrollment
Leslie Forstadt, a child and family development specialist and associate Extension professor with the University of Maine’s Cooperative Extension, and Philip Trostel, a UMaine economics and public policy professor, were quoted in the Bangor Daily News article, “Report: Enrollment in pre-kindergarten increasing steadily in Maine.” Forstadt spoke about the multiyear effort by pre-kindergarten advocacy groups to educate the public about the benefits of early education, which may have contributed to the enrollment increase. Trostel said the increase in the number of public preschools offered by Maine school districts also is a result of a funding change that went into effect during the 2006–07 school year and increased the amount of money districts could receive from the state for each 4-year-old taught. The change means taxpayers also benefit when children attend high-quality pre-kindergarten programs, Trostel said, adding that pre-kindergarten allows parents to work and can set children on a path to a higher paying career, which equates to more people paying taxes and less dependence on government services.