Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther today announced passage of legislation that would authorize school districts to provide busing to students attending district-sponsored or district-run pre-kindergarten programs.

"Early childhood education provides an important educational foundation for our children," said Silver. "Especially in rural areas, transportation can be a barrier to early education and I am pleased to see passage of legislation that seeks to reduce that barrier."

"This bill will help school districts provide equal access to universal pre-kindergarten education for all children," said Gunther. "I applaud this measure for expanding access and giving more of New York's children a leg up on the ladder to educational success."

The measure (A.10397-A/Gunther) would allow school districts to provide busing for pre-kindergarten students provided it meets the following requirements:

• the transportation must be provided equally to all children in like circumstances; and
• the voters of the district approve a proposition to provide transportation to pre-kindergarten students.

Some school districts enrolled in the universal pre-kindergarten program may already provide transportation to their students.