More school districts should follow Bangor’s lead with pre-K

To the Editor;

I applaud Bangor public schools for implementing full-day prekindergarten.

Pre-K gives a significant boost to our youngest learners by building formative skills that they will use throughout their lives. Studies show that students who have experienced high-quality pre-K are more likely to arrive at school ready to learn, less likely to be held back, more likely to be proficient in reading and math, to graduate from high school and matriculate into post-secondary education.

High-quality public pre-K, like the program Bangor has implemented, is foundational to achieving Maine’s state attainment goal focused on increasing the number of adults with a degree or credential of value to 60 percent by 2025.

Full-day pre-K also better meets the needs of working families. By aligning its pre-K program with traditional education schedules, Bangor has made it easier for working parents of young children to balance career and family, and helps to lessen the shortage in child care availability.

I hope more school districts follow Bangor’s example and implement full day programs in the future.

Paul Bolin

Senior vice president

Chief people officer

Northern Light Health

Bangor