House Resolution 527
By: Representatives Hilton of the 48th, Jones of the 47th, Ballard of the 147th, Rice of the
139th, Erwin of the 32nd, and others
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing October 6-10, 2025, as Georgia Pre-K Week; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, Georgia's Pre-K Program was started by Governor Zell Miller in 1992 as a pilot
program serving 750 students and now provides quality early education experiences to more
than half of the state's four-year-old children; and
WHEREAS, Georgia's Pre-K Program has been formally administered statewide by the
Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning since 2004; and
WHEREAS, the Georgia Lottery Corporation has appropriated more than $9 billion for the
Georgia Pre-K Program, preparing more than 2.2 million Georgia children for success in
kindergarten and beyond since its inception; and
WHEREAS, findings from the longitudinal study on Georgia's Pre-K conducted by the Frank
Porter Graham Child Development Institute show that children in Georgia's Pre-K
demonstrate significant gains across all learning domains, and these gains are sustained
through the end of fourth grade; and
WHEREAS, multiple studies of Pre-K programs, including Georgia's Pre-K, show that
participation in Pre-K can greatly improve school readiness skills, particularly for high-risk
populations; and
WHEREAS, Georgia's Pre-K Program has recognized two outstanding educators—one from
a public school system and one from a private child care center—as Georgia's Pre-K Program
Teachers of the Year for 2024-2025: Elizabeth Arthur from Lincoln County Elementary in
Lincolnton and Rachel Robertson from Oconee Preschool Academy in Watkinsville; and
WHEREAS, Georgia's Pre-K Program is ranked ninth best in the nation for access to Pre-K
for four-year-olds; and
WHEREAS, there is a growing commitment to improving the quality of child care in
Georgia, with more than half of Georgia's Pre-K programs participating in Quality Rated, the
voluntary quality improvement system for child care programs; and
WHEREAS, the House Working Group on Early Childhood Education was appointed during
the 2023 Legislative Session to determine ways in which the system of Pre-K education in
Georgia could be improved; and
WHEREAS, the working group's recommendations include specific areas in need of change
to make the Pre-K program more accessible and effective, such as restoring class sizes to 20
students, increasing salaries for assistant teachers, providing pay parity between Pre-K and
K-12 teachers, increasing operating funds for Pre-K programs, counting Pre-K enrollment
in entitlement earnings for public school systems, and ensuring equivalent lease payments
for private Pre-K providers; and
WHEREAS, Georgia Pre-K programs serve more than 73,000 children annually in
approximately 3,700 classrooms operating in all 159 counties in Georgia; and
WHEREAS, Voices for Georgia's Children and the Georgia Department of Early Care and
Learning will host Georgia Pre-K Week for the 15th consecutive year during the first full
week of October.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
the members of this body recognize October 6-10, 2025, as Georgia Pre-K Week; thank the
hundreds of programs, teachers, aides, and staff who have built a nationally recognized Pre-K
program and other high-quality early education programs; and encourage parents, educators,
community members, and business leaders to participate in Georgia Pre-K Week and support
high-quality, accessible, and affordable early education for all children in the great State of
Georgia.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to
Voices for Georgia's Children.