Letter of the Day (March 23): Preschool and kindergarten

Schools are the building blocks our future. Today, they receive less per-pupil funding than eight years ago ("Schools need more — much more," March 15). There should be more free preschool options for low-income children. Many preschool programs are full and have long waiting lists. Full-day kindergarten should be offered to all students. Statistics show that children in these age groups who attend school are more likely to graduate. Teens who don't finish high school will cost the community $750,000 in lost tax revenues, health care costs, incarceration and social services over their lifetimes. Vocational training programs should be offered in our high schools to equip students who don't attend college. If we continue to cut funding to our schools, we'll end up with a generation without the knowledge base to be productive members of society. Please call your legislators and tell them you support school funding for these programs.