Mississippi’s pre-K program earns high marks. Why did lawmakers create another one?

PETAL — Preschoolers kneel on a kaleidoscope rug, their clumsy hands reaching for wooden blocks, little socked feet tucked underneath.

Block by block, they build a tower that only teeters a little, and for a moment, stands tall. The kids grin proudly. And when it tumbles to the ground a few seconds later, the classroom corner is filled with the sound of giggles.

A bystander might think this is just play. But the teacher watching nearby knows they’re learning essential fine-motor skills. They’re also learning social skills by sharing with their classmates.

Thanks to a statewide investment in early education more than a decade ago, about one in six Mississippi children is learning these integral skills within the first few years of life at “early learning collaboratives” throughout the st