Nashville - Gov. Phil Bredesen’s Pre-K legislation passed the State Senate Thursday on a near unanimous vote of 27 ayes, two nays and one abstention.

The bill passed the State House on April 27 with a vote of 75 ayes, 21 nays and one abstention.

One Senate amendment was added to the bill which will give at-risk children first priority to available Pre-K classroom spaces. Administration officials concurred on the amendment.

“This is a real victory for Tennessee children and for all Tennesseans," said Gov. Bredesen. "With the direction and support of local communities, educators and families, we have begun the process of making a quality Pre-K education available to every 4 year old in Tennessee. I thank the members of the General Assembly for the bi-partisan passage of this important priority.”

The legislation establishes the funding plan, the application and award process, and the underlying academic criteria and high quality standards for participating programs, it was stated.

One of the cornerstones of Bredesen’s Pre-K proposal is local control, his office said. Local communities - through their school systems - can decide whether to participate in the program, and they can decide how many classrooms they want to add moving forward. The legislation also gives local communities the flexibility to seek outside funding for the local matching funds.

Earlier this year, Gov. Bredesen included $25 million of new funding for Pre-K expansion from excess lottery funds as a part of his FY ’05-’06 budget proposal.

Sen. Don McLeary (D-Jackson), sponsor, said, “I’m proud of our action today. Because of the Senate’s approval of this pre-K initiative, Tennesseans will have a brighter future. Recent studies have shown that only 53% of Tennessee ninth-graders go on to graduate from high school. Expanding pre-kindergarten will help us improve these numbers.”

Sen. McLeary said he was referring to a study by the Manhattan Institute of Public Policy that ranked Tennessee 48th in the nation in high school graduation rates.

“We simply must do better,” Sen. McLeary said. “Numerous studies have shown pre-kindergarten education yields significant long-term benefits. Students who have completed preschool are more likely to graduate from high school, complete college, and find a stable, good-paying job.”

“Pre-k is about our future,” Sen. McLeary said. “It’s about improving the quality of life for every Tennessean. Today’s action puts us one step closer to making Tennessee better tomorrow and for years to come.”

Only Republican Senators Mae Beavers and Tim Burchett voted against the bill.