Republican Gov. Chris Sununu says expanding full-day kindergarten is critical to attracting new businesses and workers to New Hampshire and to giving the state's children a better future.
The first-term governor is urging the House Education Committee to pass an $18 million plan over two years to fund more full-day kindergarten programs. He's testifying Tuesday before the committee, a rare move for a governor. The money would be given out in grants and directed to communities with high numbers of low-income students or English language learners.
The kindergarten bill offers a rare display of bipartisanship, with Democrats lining up in support of the governor.
Senators passed the kindergarten bill, but Sununu faces a tougher audience in the House. Some Republicans have been publicly skeptical of the benefits of full-day kindergarten.