CINCINNATI — Fewer parents in Ohio enrolled their children in preschool for the current school year than before.
Across Ohio, public preschool enrollment is down by about 27 percent. That means about 15,000 children aren't going to get any formal preschool instruction.
Kindergartens across the state also saw a decline in enrollment. Ohio kindergarten enrollment dropped by about 8 percent, or 10,000 children.
Some experts said not enrolling your child in a program when they are eligible can lead to a delay in their learning capabilities like reading skills or how to use tools like scissors.
If parents aren't comfortable sending their child to school, experts recommend learning from home and using community resources like the library. Just a few hours a day is all it takes to teach some of the key skills preschool and kindergarten would normally teach, experts said.
