Metro

De Blasio’s tax plan boosted by King’s pre-K cost estimate

State Education Commissioner John King unexpectedly bolstered Mayor de Blasio’s tax-the-rich plan for expanding pre-K by saying such classes will cost far more than Gov. Cuomo has estimated.

King told a legislative committee in Albany Tuesday that full-day pre-kindergarten classes could cost nearly $1.6 billion a year statewide — more than five times as much as what Cuomo has proposed.

“Right now, the spending is $380 million for half-day pre-K,” King testified, projecting that the total bill for full-day universal coverage would come in at about $1.6 billion.

In that case, lawmakers wondered, was Cuomo’s allocation too little?

Trying to head off a possible confrontation with the governor, King diplomatically said school districts need time to phase in the new spending.

“The governor’s projection is based on some assumptions about how quickly districts will ramp up their pre-K programs,” King explained.

He later described Cuomo’s proposal as a “significant investment.”

“Obviously, capacity needs to be built over time. It’s not possible to provide full-day pre-K for every student in September,” King added after the hearing.

“The path to quality universal pre-K will take a few years, but it’s the right thing to do.”

But by putting up the $1.6 billion figure, King was giving ammunition to the mayor.

De Blasio says he needs to tax the rich to fund full pre-K programs because the money put on the table by the governor — $1.5 billion over five years statewide — is insufficient.

Cuomo doesn’t want to hike taxes in an election year and insists he’s ready to pick up the city’s entire pre-K tab.

A Cuomo spokesman said the state is prepared to pay for programs “as quickly as they [the schools] are ready.”

Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña followed King at the budget hearing and hammered home de Blasio’s point.

She said Cuomo’s funding would cover only one-eighth of the students seeking pre-K in the first year and called on Albany to authorize the higher taxes requested by the mayor.

“One thing New York City citizens understand is that this tax is not a hardship,” she said. “That doesn’t mean anyone will heartily pay it, but we’re saying the tax is for this purpose.”