Ohio lawmakers consider preschool-ranking proposal

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio lawmakers are considering a proposal to require tax-funded child care and preschool programs to participate in a rating system that’s currently voluntary.

The Columbus Dispatch reports Gov. John Kasich’s mid-biennium budget bill includes the proposal aimed at ensuring high standards and better preparing youngsters for kindergarten.

Public preschools and subsidized child-care facilities would be ranked with one to three stars based on class sizes, educational offerings and teacher qualifications.

An Ohio Department of Education official told lawmakers considering the proposal that the rankings would hold the publicly funded programs to high standards and could help ensure school readiness, especially for children with high needs.

The state has about 105,000 low-income children in subsidized child care and 37,000 more with high needs in public preschools.