MANTEO, N.C. (AP) -- Gov. Beverly Perdue is visiting the Outer Banks to boost a new front in her ongoing contest with legislative Republicans over education spending.
The Democratic governor visits a Manteo elementary school Monday to talk about the North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten Program.
Perdue last week issued an executive order that pre-kindergarten education be offered to all eligible 4-year-olds while maintaining existing academic standards. A state judge last month said the state must offer the program for at-risk kids as part of its duty to provide a good, basic education.
Neither Perdue nor the judge said how the state would pay for a potential flood of thousands of children.
Republican lawmakers say the pressure threatens to disrupt the state budget .
