Read to Succeed to expand for pre-kindergarten?

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - The same night as President Barack Obama asked for all states to provide more pre-K education in his State of the Union address, Tippecanoe County school officials hope to have a program to do just that.

Early childhood education was the focus of the annual Cooperation and Collaboration meeting with the three county school districts and several additional community members.
    
Officials see the new initiative as an extension of the successful Read to Succeed program that works with children in kindergarten and above.

West Lafayette Superintendent Rocky Killion said it's important to do it locally because Indiana as a state is lagging behind.

"We're lagging way behind the states with early learning," Killion said. "It's very important for us to grasp the reins and move us forward for our community, for the sake of our community, for the sake of our kids, for the sake of everyone in Tippecanoe County."

Killion said conversations will move forward with each school board and community partners.
    
He hopes to have a framework for a new program in about a year.