ST. PAUL (AP) - Gov. Mark Dayton has unveiled a scaled-back version of a statewide preschool program.

The governor is proposing spending $125 million over the next several years for a voluntary prekindergarten program.

He says funding will be awarded based on poverty rates and the availability of high-quality programs in the area. Funding will be split between urban, suburban and outstate Minnesota school districts and charter schools.

Dayton last year proposed $343 million to offer universal preschool. That proposal gained little traction and some educators said they'd rather pour that money into the general funding pot.

The governor also wants to spend $94 million to increase the maximum amount of money that can be paid to providers participating in the state's Child Care Assistance Program.

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