Improved School Readiness

Chiles/MacKay forged new partnerships with the business community to provide functional and successful school readiness efforts. Governor Chiles won millions of dollars in matching funds through the Executive Child Care Partnership for companies that invest in child care and school readiness. Chiles also won $2 million per year in tax credits for companies that invest in child care facilities for their employees, and the Chiles/MacKay team built public-private partnerships to provide quality child care to working families.

Governor Chiles also created the statewide Pre-Kindergarten Early Intervention Program, providing the building blocks of learning at community centers and schools in nearly every community throughout Florida. Using more than $100 million per year in Lottery funds, pre-K programs have gone from serving 1,120 children in 1987 to serving more than 30,000 per year. This investment in preschool learning is already producing dividends by increasing school performance and reducing drop-outs for at-risk students.