(RALEIGH) -- Republican state lawmakers are criticizing Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue’s proposal to comply with a court ruling that would expand enrollment in an early childhood education program.

Perdue submitted a plan Monday that would add more than 42,000 at-risk 4-year-olds to the North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten program over the next five years. GOP leaders questioned whether the state could afford to expand the program, which is estimated to cost an additional $360 million a year by 2016.

“You cannot have an open-ended program without any concern as to what the actual costs are going to be,” said Rep. Nelson Dollar, R-Wake.

The request follows a court ruling earlier this year that struck down the program’s enrollment cap along with a fee parents were required to pay in order to have their child enrolled. Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard Manning concluded that the state must provide pre-K education to all at-risk 4-year-olds. School officials estimate more than 67,000 children meet the at-risk eligibility requirements for the program.

Perdue is asking lawmakers to approve $30 million to fund 6,300 additional pre-K slots beginning in January 2012. The plan then adds 9,000 preschoolers each year through 2016. Under that timeline, all at-risk 4-year-olds would be served by the end of the 2015-2016 school year.

Perdue spokesman Mark Johnson pointed out the governor’s plan acknowledges that the state “can’t flip a switch” and comply with Manning’s ruling. He said the proposal aims to address the problem from a practical stand point.

“It doesn’t necessarily address what’s possible from a budgetary standpoint,” he added. “The actual timelines adopted by the state will be based on the state’s fiscal reality in the years ahead.”

Dollar said he’s still hopeful Manning’s ruling will be overturned on appeal. He also insisted that the pre-K program is using taxpayer dollars more wisely despite recent budget cuts.