A state Senate task force is looking into whether state money should be spent on early childhood education, but officials say nothing is likely to happen because of philosophical differences among state lawmakers.
"We have some people who don't want to participate and want to force their belief system on the rest of us, in this case, to not have a pre-K program," said Sen. Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow. "That upsets me."
Senators heard from a law enforcement officials, teachers and business leaders about the need for early childhood education, which they said saves money in the long run on prisons and remedial school programs.
Thirty-nine states have preschool programs paid for by the state, and more states are adding them.
Idaho, meanwhile, is going in the other direction. Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter cut several early-childhood programs earlier this year. None of the bills concerning early education at the last legislative session passed.
Idaho does have some 4,000 child care programs. Of those, more than half aren't licensed, and less than 1 percent are accredited.
Lawmakers from the House did not take part in the Senate task force meeting.
"I was terribly disappointed when the House decided not to participate," Sen. Tom Gannon, R-Buhl, told The Spokesman-Review. "If they participated, they would be here and they could help us start seeing where we would be able to converge."
Rep. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, is chairman of the task force on the family for the House, and opposes state-funded early childhood education.
"Every time we start a program that costs money, we're actually forcing more mothers out of the home," said Thayn.
Three professors from Brigham Young University-Idaho gave a report to the senators about how early childhood development makes a significant difference in a child's learning success.