Elli Schwiesow on Universal Preschool

When a Republican challenges a Republican in the general election, people sit up and take notice. That's what is happening in South Dakota's Legislative District 32 Senate race this year.

Elli Schwiesow has been heavily involved in state and local Republican Party efforts for many years. But this year, as she considered the tremendous expense it would require to overcome Stan Adelstein in the Republican primary, she decided to run in the general election as an Independent.

The entire state is watching as incumbent Democrat Tom Katus is challenged by two Republicans: Elli Schwiesow running as an Independent, and Stan Adelstein who many say exemplifies Republican values far less than his Independent foe.

In the weeks leading up to the November 4 election, Dakota Voice is publishing a series of articles examining Schwiesow's position on a number of issues.

Because of her longstanding commitment to pro-life causes, Elli's foes often claim she is a "single-issue candidate." We wanted to see if that was really the case.

So far, Schwiesow has talked extensively about taxes and Second Amendment rights. Today Schwiesow talks about universal preschool.


"The legislature has seen bills advancing universal preschool for the last couple of years, and we will definitely see it again this year," Schwiesow said.

"I think we need to give children time to be children," cautions Schwiesow. "Certainly small minds are like sponges and they soak up a lot of information but a certain level of maturity is also needed to be successful in school, so no, I do not favor universal pre-kindergarten."

Schwiesow points out that no one wants to pay higher taxes, and education funding is always a challenge. She pointed to the education funding lawsuit seen this year, with school districts suing the state for more money.

"Where would additional funding for universal preschool come from," asked Schwiesow rhetorically. "Would it come from present school funding? The money isn't there."

Still, she is under no illusions that proponents of universal preschool will be back yet again in the coming legislative session.

"While our governor supports preschool, the legislature stood pretty firm against it before," said Schwiesow. "The legislature said there isn't enough money to spend on everything some people currently want, so how can we add the tremendous cost of universal preschool to that? Is government responsible for preschool and daycare programs? I don't think South Dakota is interested in going there."

She also cited numerous studies which question the long-term benefit of preschool, including the recent testimony of Stanford professor Erik Hanushek who stated preschool doesn't seem to have much in the way of long-term educational benefits; many studies indicate preschool gains have dissipated by the first or second grade.

"I've looked at the research on the effects of preschool," Schwiesow said. "Parents have been encouraged to place their children in programs 'the earlier the better.' I fell into that huge push for preschool with my youngest, and now research is finding that the 'home with mom' kid does better. There may be some benefit in the first grade or two, but those children given secure home foundations have better self esteem and tend to do better in school overall."

Schwiesow acknowledged that studies have found that there is more benefit from preschool for children coming from tough, disadvantaged backgrounds. However, Schwiesow pointed out that the state is already involved in helping many of these children on a number of levels, and questions whether any additional assistance is feasible, both from a practical and funding perspective.

Related:

South Dakota Family Policy Council Voter Guide
Project VoteSmart

Next time, Schwiesow discusses energy and what can be done in South Dakota to help meet America's energy needs.