BISMARCK, N.D. (Prairie News Service) – It’s almost time for North Dakota kids to go back to school – but some of the state’s youngest won’t be getting an education just yet.

The approach of the first day of the school year spotlights how few young North Dakotans are enrolled in early education programs – only 31 percent. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the state ranks last in the nation for participation. Karen Olson with North Dakota KIDS COUNT says access and affordability are two of the biggest barriers for families.

She notes about three-quarters of children live in households where both parents are working – one of the highest rates in the nation.

Olson says the state has started to address this issue. In 2015, the Legislature passed a bill that provides scholarships to preschool programs that serve low-income families. She says conservative estimates find a seven-dollar return to society for every one-dollar spent on early education.