Everyone knows by now that our special ed services, or many services for that matter, are horribly underfunded. I believe this would cause more problems later down the line creating a need for more programs and supports causing schools to spend more money they don't have. If half of the teachers spent as much time fighting school districts and unions asking for more, more, more of what the kids need rather than what they need I bet that would be a great start.
One sad part of all this is it's usually those who are so far removed from what goes on in our schools making the decisions that affects our children.
I also agree that KG students do not need text books, I never used them, my kids never used them. It's an added expense schools don't really need to be spending money on. There are other resources with the same material that can be copied or produced by the teacher's themselves.

My children are no longer preschoolers but as a realist, my thought is this - how are we going to be able to continue to pay for our public schools? It's quite easy to say what we don't want to happen - but what do we want to happen?
Unlike magicians, we can't pull rabbits or dollars out of a hat. Every time some money-saving change is suggested for our schools, a hue and a cry is raised - keep our kindergartens but take away.... what?

Someday soon, something has to give. Until we find the magic wand that creates mountains more of money, we will have to cut some services. What would you suggest that be?

How will they manage 1st grade and beyond? How will they see to it that kids will learn the basics skills necessary that they should have been taught in KG? I think this will cause more of a mess for schools. What about those who cannot afford preschool nor can find a preschool that accepts kids past an age when they should be in KG? I tell ya, more and more schools are grasping at straws.
This is what happens when you have administrations and states that cannot balance a budget and make up programs that are unnecessary and serve little purpose.
example: Our high school is implementing a "Freshman Academy" next year which will require more administration and teachers...who has the budget for that? Keeping the Freshman separate from the rest of the school population will not help students adjust any better to their surroundings. They need to be be shown guidance in how to appropriately fit in and become comfortable, not segregated. Our taxes are going to pay for this when they should be addressing their lack in ability to meet AYP for the 4th year in a row.