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Parents as Teachers supporters lobby Mo. lawmakers

Missouri State Capitol.
Missouri State Capitol.

By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio

Jefferson City, Mo. – Supporters of the Parents as Teachers program lobbied Missouri lawmakers today, in hopes of persuading them not to cut their funding for the next school year.

The program is facing a $4 million cut in Governor Jay Nixon's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011.

Parents as Teachers was designed to train parents in child development skills before their kids reach school age. Mary Ann Sander coordinates the program in the west central Missouri town of Centralia.

"We're fortunate that our local district puts in money right now...our district may decide not to put in any additional money...if that's the case, then you reduce services to families, and that means that we'll catch fewer delays...we'll have children entering school that are not as ready for school as they are now," Sander said.

But more than one lawmaker, including House Budget Chairman Allen Icet (R, Wildwood), say reversing the proposed cuts is unlikely with state revenues continuing to decline.

"If a (State House) member wants to offer an amendment to take money out of some other general revenue program and put it into Parents as Teachers as a (partial) or complete restoration, that certainly is up to that member to offer the amendment," Icet said.

The program has already experienced a $2 million cut during the current school year due to dwindling state revenues.

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