Students who enter kindergarten without adequate preparation are more likely to drop out, plus they're more likely to need special education or have to repeat a grade at a cost of some $24.4 million, additional English instruction for $11 million and more resources to deal with delinquent behavior, at a cost of $6 million, according to a Wilder Research report.

The study, which was commissioned by the Bush Foundation, focused only on the quantifiable costs within the K-12 system.
It found that, per year, the school system loses:

• $42 million of per-pupil money from the state because of students dropping out before graduation.
• $28.9 million in teacher-related costs, because of higher rates of teacher absenteeism and turnover, and higher pay for teachers working in unsatisfactory conditions because of behavior problems and low achievement among students that could have been prevented if students were better prepared.
• $24.4 million for special education and grade repetition costs that can be attributed to children entering kindergarten under prepared.
• $11 million to serve students learning English who have no early education.
• $6 million spent on school safety because of delinquent behavior that possibly could have been prevented if students were better prepared for school.

Chase said that the estimate is likely conservative, because many costs to schools can't be quantified. How much does it cost for remedial programs for students who were unprepared for kindergarten? How often do parents pull their children from public schools because they don't like bad classroom behavior?

"The schools by themselves can't afford to prevent all these issues," Chase said. "The state would have to take some form of collective responsibility to better prepare our kids for school success."

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Source: Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul) 12.29.08