Cedar Rapids Law Enforcement Leaders Say Pre-K Cuts Crime, Saves Taxpayer Dollars

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA-(May 26, 2010) Local law enforcement leaders today released a research report showing that at-risk kids who attend high-quality pre-kindergarten programs are less likely to commit crimes as adults. The research also shows that investing more in pre-kindergarten could produce benefits even sooner, saving up to $200 million in Iowa education costs each year by reducing the need for special education placements and other K-12 education expenses.

At a press conference highlighting the benefits of pre-kindergarten programs, Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner and Cedar Rapids Police Chief Greg Graham said additional spending on quality pre-k programs not only would reduce crime, but also would cut the costs of special education in Iowa by as much as ten percent.

“Our report shows that enrolling kids in high-quality pre-kindergarten programs helps them get a strong start to their schooling,” said Chief Graham. “As a police chief, I know first hand that giving low-income, at-risk children a good early start in life can result in fewer of these children becoming involved in crime later in life – which is a huge benefit to every taxpayer in Cedar Rapids.”

Among several studies cited in the report is a long-term study of Michigan’s Perry Preschool that followed two groups of at-risk, low-income 3-and 4-year-olds, beginning in 1962. One group attended the Perry Preschool Program. The other did not. The study found that children who did not attend the high-quality program were five times more likely to be chronic offenders than children who did participate. By age 40, the kids who did not attend the program were twice as likely to be arrested for violent crimes than those who participated.

The preschool program also helped significantly reduce the need for special education. Children who attended the Perry program were 43 percent less likely to be placed in special education during their K-12 years partly because the Perry program enabled at-risk children to develop positive social skills, giving them a better chance to succeed in later grades.

Sherriff Gardner noted that quality pre-kindergarten programs reduce the need for special education by helping build core learning and social skills among at-risk children at an early age.

“Of course, we wholeheartedly support special education programs, and we understand that many children have special educational needs, such as a hearing impairment or a learning disability, that will not change as a result of high-quality pre-k,” said Sherriff Gardner. “However, our report shows that for children with developmental delays or behavior problems, high-quality pre-k programs can make a meaningful difference in reducing the need for special education during the K-12 years and cutting costs by as much as ten percent.”

The law enforcement leaders called on Iowa’s Congressional delegation, including Senators Tom Harkin, to support new incentives for states to increase access to high-quality pre-kindergarten, as part of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, called the No Child Left Behind Act in its last renewal. Senator Harkin chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which is responsible for writing the school reform bill in the Senate.

While the report noted that Iowa had taken steps to improve and expand pre-k, only 11 percent of all Iowa three-year olds and 39 percent of all four-year-olds are served by publicly funded early education programs including pre-k. Many school districts cannot provide high-quality pre-kindergarten because of a lack of state and federal funding, the report noted.

Iowa spends nearly $1 billion a year on special education services, but invests only about $36 million a year in state-funded half-day pre-kindergarten programs, according to the report. The new analysis shows that if the state and federal government can dedicate $250 million to provide high-quality full-day pre-kindergarten for 80 percent of its 4-year-olds, Iowa could save as much as $100 million in special education costs and an additional $100 million in savings from reductions in grade retention and kids learning more effectively. As a result, the total K-12 education savings could reach $200 million a year.

The law enforcement leaders also noted that increasing investments in high-quality pre-kindergarten would add up to a total return on investment of $16 per dollar spent over the long-term. These savings largely come from reduced crime, corrections and other costs.

“Everything we do as law enforcement officials has to be in the best interests of public safety and also the best interests of our children’s education,” Sheriff Gardner said. “Investing in high-quality pre-kindergarten will reduce crime, save taxpayer dollars and help make sure that all kids have a better start to their education.”

Sheriff Gardner and Chief Graham are members of FIGHT CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS, a national anti-crime organization of police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and violence survivors with 160 members in Iowa and over 5,000 members nationwide.

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