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State To Dedicate $270 Million To Pre-School Education

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) -- Education experts say money for the youngest kids can pay off in the long run.

As WBBM Newsradio 780's Dave Dahl reports, $270 million in state funding is going to ward early-childhood education in Illinois.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Dave Dahl reports

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"What we're announcing is the state-funded early childhood block grants that will allow roughly 458 districts in other areas to provide state-sponsored pre-school for students 3 to 4 years old, to give them that early extra edge to go to school," said Illinois State Board of Education spokesman Matt Vanover.

Research indicates kids who are academically at risk are from lower-income households.
Vanover says those children are exactly the ones the funding will help.

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