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Leaving early childhood education out of New Mexico's funding formula is like building a house without pouring the foundation. It may hold up for a while, but eventually, the roof is going to fall in.

This is something the state legislators should keep in mind during the current legislative session.

One of their tasks will be to consider a proposed funding formula for childhood education. The money provided by the state is badly needed, and lawmakers are to be congratulated for once again stepping in to fill the ever-widening education shortfalls in the federal budget.

But the state funding formula, while well-intentioned, doesn't quite add up.

The budget emphasis on children in grades K-12 leaves out children from birth to age 5, whose early experiences, research tells us, are the most reliable indicators of future success — or failure.

Studies by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Research tell us that at least half of the educational achievement gaps between poor and non-poor children already exist at kindergarten entry. Children are born learning, and if we wait until third grade or first grade or even kindergarten to pay attention to what they've missed, it's already way too late. The larger the achievement gap at school entry, the harder it is to close.

One need only look at our state's dropout statistics to see that this is true. It's not only about how much money you spend — and again, we're grateful that the state is spending the money — but also about where you put those precious dollars.

To be clear, I am not suggesting that the state apply the funding formula to children ages birth through 5 but rather that it allow flexibility in the formula so that schools can take advantage of existing programs for this age group.

The evidence is in, not only from respected national researchers but also from our own experience with innovative programs here in New Mexico that supporting early childhood education is the best way to guarantee future success for our children, for our schools and for our economy.

I have seen for myself the difference that early childhood programs have made in the lives of families. The New Mexico Community Foundation has been funding early childhood education programs for five years, through New Mexico Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids, a program that fosters family engagement, early childhood and elementary school collaboration and best practices in transition. And the results are heartening.

Now in its fifth year, New Mexico SPARK is creating collaborations among schools, parents and early child-care educators in San Juan County, Española, Laguna Pueblo, Albuquerque, Doña Ana County and Hobbs.

SPARK works with families to ensure a seamless transition for 3- to 6-year-olds as they move from preschool programs through kindergarten into elementary school classrooms. SPARK also works with local child development and elementary teachers, as well as with parents, local health care providers and businesses in these communities. The purpose of the program is to improve learning outcomes for vulnerable children and youth so that they are sustainable — in other words, to build a solid foundation for success.

For instance, by participating in a pre-school-to-kindergarten transition program, teachers, parents and administrators have come to understand that not only should schools be ready for children, but children should be ready for the school. After all, if a child is reluctant to go to school, not much learning is going to take place.

In a state where 25 percent of the population is children — half of them under the age of 8 — how many will be able to participate in an innovative program like this?

According to the new funding formula, none. The formula gives school districts little authority in how they can use the funds and restricts funds from being used for children below the age of 5. The formula also has little to offer families, whose early engagement in school activities is another crucial measure of a child's future success.

As grateful as we are that the state is providing these funds, the formula is out of balance and should be corrected. We need to balance the equation to allow school districts more latitude to use the funding for innovative programs at all levels. Because in the end, this isn't about numbers or plus and minus signs. It's about children, and it's about everyone's future.

Darnell-Nuñez is statewide coordinator of New Mexico Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids. She is based in Albuquerque. This column was distributed by the New Mexico Editorial Forum.