The state hopes grant money set aside by lawmakers in the 2017 legislative session will help expand access to and the quality of preschool programs.

Those counties are: Bartholomew, Delaware, Elkhart, Howard, Kosciusko, Madison, Marshall, Monroe, St. Joseph, and Tippecanoe counties

Currently the program serves about 1,500 students in five counties.

The bill looking to expand state funded pre-K also allocates $1 million for in-home digital preschool learning.

Pre-K continues to be one of the most debated education bills this session.

The committee reduced funding for a pre-K expansion bill, from $10 million a year to $3 million a year.

The Senate Appropriations Committee endorsed the move Thursday to cut the governor's request for $10 million a year in additional funding to $3 million.

The General Assembly will discuss how to expand the state's pre-k pilot program during the 2017 legislative session.

When the General Assembly convenes for the 2017 legislative session, expanding state funded pre-K will be a top priority.

Some believe every child in the state should attend pre-k on the state's dime, others think the focus should be on low-income families.