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State DHHR officials say the start of school is in jeopardy for pre-kindergarten students in 20 West Virginia counties, including Calhoun, Wirt and Clay counties.
West Virginia pre-kindergarten is voluntary.
State lawmakers set a benchmark that every 4-year-old would have access to pre-kindergarten by 2012.
Health and Human Resources Secretary Martha Walker has not approved pre-kindergarten plans. She has expressed concern how the state's new pre-kindergarten program will affect the state's child-care centers, according to Gazette education reporter Davin White.
WV has a critical shortage of early childhood care, according to WV Kids Count.
Walker says if a center isn't included in a county's plan, it may not have enough children and be forced to close.
"The viability of child care centers is critical to West Virginia's economic development, and must be supported as Pre-K is implemented," Walker wrote to state Board of Education President Delores Cook.
"Over the past three years, West Virginia has lost approximately 70 child care centers," Walker said.
Walker said West Virginia Pre-K subsidizes free pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds at schools, child-care centers and faith-based centers.
The DHHR says some county plans have not made it to Walker's office.
"You're going to have a lot of disappointed children in 20 counties," said Jorea Marple, assistant state superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
State Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine said he expects pre-kindergarten students in Kanawha and the 19 other counties to start on time at their local school, Head Start program or child-care center.
State DHHR and Department of Education officials would meet to resolve the problem, he said.
Plans are not yet approved in Kanawha, Boone, Clay, Doddridge, Berkeley, Monroe, Webster, Calhoun, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Logan, Marion, McDowell, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Tyler, Upshur and Wirt counties, according to Walker.
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