As a life-long resident of Concord, a parent, and a homeowner, I strongly support the Concord School Board’s efforts to fully fund full-day kindergarten programs in the budget this year. Not only would providing a full day of kindergarten to each child in Concord be a strong economic decision for our city – it would provide more children with an equal opportunity to succeed. That’s tough to argue with.

My husband and I are both working parents who value education. We made a commitment to provide our three boys with a strong foundation by enrolling them in high-quality early learning programs, including private full-day kindergarten for our oldest son since it was not available in Concord Public Schools when he came of age. While I’m grateful to be able to provide this for my oldest son, and will happily do it for my other two children, it is an option that should be available to all Concord kindergarteners. It is worth paying a two percent property tax increase to fund it; for the average home valued at $250,000, the increase to the tax bill will be $78.

Furthermore, Concord is an island of half-day kindergarten in a sea of full-day kindergarten. Families choose to buy homes in no small part based on the quality of the school district. Deciding to fully fund full-day kindergarten will help Concord draw more families and homeowners to the city. It will also help our children keep up with their peers in Hopkinton, Bow, Pembroke, and the Merrimack Valley School District, all of which have had full-day kindergarten for several years.

Understandably, some Concord residents may balk at any tax increase. But for families who currently pay for their children to attend a private full-day program, this will save money; for my family it will save us close to $7,000 in tuition next year as our second son will be entering kindergarten in the fall. With the extra money, we will be able to do more in our community to support local businesses and in turn support the city we love.

I believe it is the responsibility of our city to give all kids a strong start in life. That starts with early learning and providing a full day of kindergarten.

In New Hampshire and across the country, high quality early childhood programs produce lasting gains in academic achievement, increased graduation rates and reduced crime rates. The environment and interactions kids are exposed to in the first five years of life significantly influence the outcomes of their adult lives. Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman found that the rate of return on investments in early childhood development can be 13 percent per child, per year due to improved outcomes in education, health, sociability, economic productivity, and reduced crime.

Expanding access to full-day kindergarten helps kids from low-income backgrounds keep up with their more affluent peers academically. They get to spend more time applying and practicing what they’ve learned with teachers’ guidance. Students also spend more time interacting with classmates and forming vital social skills. The importance of this cannot be understated or ignored.

Additionally, full-day kindergarten helps families and the community as a whole because it allows parents to work without worrying about finding and paying for quality child care, which is increasingly difficult to find and afford.

Last year, I was encouraged as our state took a big step forward by passing SB 191, which increased funding for full-day kindergarten by $9 million annually. But we can’t rest until all kids in Concord – and then every city and town in the state – have access to a quality full-day program.

Please join me in urging the Concord School Board to fund full-day kindergarten programs in each school in our city this year. All kids deserve the opportunity to succeed. Let’s give it to them.

(Emma Sisti lives in Concord.)