Parents joined lawmakers in Brentwood today to push for expanded full-day pre-K.
Parents, educators and government officials are voicing concerns that full-day pre-K programs need to be universal, and not just in New York City.
The Alliance for Quality Education says full-day pre-K is not available to about 75 percent of the students living in Long Island's poorest districts.
The problem with expanding pre-K is coming up with the necessary funding. Opponents have bristled at the $125 million needed to institute full-day pre-K programs across Long Island.
Assemblyman Phil Ramos argues that you can't put a price tag on a child's future.
"It's cheaper to create and produce a productive adult than to fix a broken one," says Ramos.
Parents will have to wait until May to see whether their school district receives the appropriate funding for a universal full day pre-K program.