Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation Expanding Pre-K

Disappointed by voters’ rejection in June of a broad plan to deliver free preschool to all California 4-year-olds, advocates for early-childhood education have been reinvigorated by the legislative success of a more modest proposal to expand the state’s existing preschool system.

The bill, passed by both chambers of the legislature on Aug. 31 and signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Sept. 7, allocates $50 million to increase preschool enrollment in neighborhoods served by low-performing schools.

During a budget speech in May, Mr. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, said the $50 million would be the first installment of a three-year effort to...