Proponents of public school pre-kindergarten programs generally argue that it has two benefits: that it helps children succeed in school, and that it is a reliable, free source of child care for working parents.

There’s some debate about what the data say about that first point, but few argue with the latter. Despite that, not every school district offers pre-kindergarten — and some districts have even seen fierce battles to stop the expansion of pre-K programs.

One state avoided that fight, however, and has one of the US’s most successful public, universal pre-K programs: Oklahoma.

My colleague Coleman Lowndes recently traveled to the state to better understand how its program came together. I asked him about that, and what other states can learn from Oklahoma. Our conversation, edited for length and clarity, is below:

Coleman, what is universal pre-K?

In the US, pre-K is generally not part of the elementary school system. It’s usually part of what’s called a targeted program, which means that it’s geared toward low-income or at-risk children.

Universal pre-kindergarten is a public elementary school grade for all 4-year-olds, no matter your income or risk level.

Why is universal pre-K beneficial?

On a basic level, it’s good for kids: An extra year of school creates an extra year of readiness for the child.

Critics argue that while that may be true, middle- and upper-class children don’t need it, as their parents can afford to put them in private programs. The counterargument is that we need to take more than education into account, and universal pre-K should be defined as a workforce issue.

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