The concern being expressed by Mars School Board members over Gov. Ed Rendell's proposed early childhood education initiatives is justified.

While the main objective of the governor's proposal is not flawed, Mars and the other 500 public school districts in the state are right regarding concerns about the plan's ultimate financial impact.

The proposal could lead to higher property taxes, if the state doesn't back up the plan with an adequate, permanent subsidy increase. Too often in the past, the state hasn't provided enough money to properly fund new programs, or has opted to fund them only temporarily, leaving taxpayers on the local level with the responsibility of footing the bill.

The early childhood proposal is significant in scope and could prove very costly.

That is not to imply that the proposal should be shelved. It's objective is sound — to help school districts meet requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law.

As Abe Amoros, Rendell's deputy press secretary, pointed out, educating children at the ages that the new proposal envisions — 3 and 4 — would ultimately improve those children's Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test scores. That would help districts meet the 100 percent proficiency standards in math and writing that No Child Left Behind will require by 2014.

Amoros' comments regarding the governor's thoughts on funding the new program weren't cause for unbridled optimism.

"While the governor believes NCLB has merits, he also understands its challenges with funding," Amoros said. "We hear school district concerns loudly and clearly regarding funding, and that is why the governor is making sure dollars are included in his plan."

By not including the word "permanently" in his explanation, Amoros opened the window for fears about the future costs of paying for the initiative. As Geyer pointed out, the proposal would require districts to revise their strategic plans and also could require additional teachers and classroom space — necessitating significant financial outlays.

Indeed, it would be unreasonable to think that Rendell could speak for future administrations regarding the funding in question.

Geyer said the Rendell early childhood education plan envisions 180 days of instruction, with the students spending at least 2½ hours in class each day. Geyer said school directors who attended the Pennsylvania School Boards Association's state convention were told that the program would be voluntary. However, Geyer was right in observing that programs that begin under a voluntary classification sometimes evolve into state Department of Education mandates.

That's one of the reasons why programs such as the one in question, while being beneficial in their intent, cannot be universally embraced. Program rules and funding immediately become suspect about the possibility of excessive money demands later.

Mars school officials are right in their caution about the governor's plan; officials of other districts should be cautious as well.