(RALEIGH) -- Gov. Bev Perdue is asking state lawmakers for $30 million to implement a court order regarding an early childhood initiative.

Perdue sent a proposal to legislative leaders requesting funding for 6,300 additional slots in the NC Pre-K program beginning in January 2012. The request follows a court ruling earlier this year that struck down the program’s enrollment cap. Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard Manning concluded that the state must provide pre-K education to all at-risk 4-year-olds. 
 
“Not only are we under a court order to provide NC Pre-K services to every at-risk child who applies, but we know that investing in early childhood education pays dividends,” Perdue said in a prepared statement. “NC Pre-K is a nationally-recognized academic prekindergarten program that benefits not just each individual child served, but the state’s education system as a whole. This is because when all students enter elementary school ready to learn, all children have a better chance to succeed in school and in life.”
 
The governor’s plan recommends that lawmakers use $27 million from unspent funds left over from the current fiscal year along with $3 million from the Contingency and Emergency Fund. However, Perdue indicated that she’s willing to discuss other sources as long as it doesn’t come from education programs.
 
“We can’t flip a switch,” Perdue said. “We must implement Judge Manning’s order in a prudent, fiscally responsible way.”
 
Members of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee for Health and Human Services are expected to consider the proposal at a meeting on Tuesday.