Prop. 82, Rob Reiner's June ballot measure for government-run preschool, is an expensive measure that would rake in $2.4 billion per year by raising the state income-tax rate for high earners. Before approving such an expensive system, Californians should consider good alternatives that are more cost-effective.

Reiner and his allies contend that his proposal is worth the high cost, citing a RAND study that claims that for every $1 expended on preschool, society will receive $2.62 in long-term benefits such as better student performance and less criminal activity. RAND, however, admits that the Chicago preschool program for low-income children on which it bases its estimates differs from Reiner's initiative in many key ways, such as the level of parental involvement and the provision of services.

Furthermore, there is no long-term evidence that middle- and upper-income children are helped by preschool, a fact that undercuts the basis for a preschool program aimed at all children.

With so much uncertainty over the real benefits of a massive, bureaucratic and costly statewide universal preschool program, is it wise to entrench Reiner's scheme in the state constitution? To do so would seem especially wrong-headed when there are examples in California of preschool models that are much less expensive but very promising.

For instance, the Ready to Start program is a five-week session held during the summer before children start kindergarten. As opposed to more than $8,000 per child for a full year program under the Reiner plan, Ready to Start carries a price tag of only $350 per child.

The program, which has operated for two years in the Greenfield and Rosedale school districts in Kern County, is a partnership among local businesses, education agencies and colleges.

Under Ready to Start, children's academic skills are evaluated against established standards and student achievement is tracked as they progress through elementary and middle school. By the conclusion of the program, test scores have greatly increased and children have retained the improved skills through kindergarten. This short-term success for the five-week program is similar to the short-term successes claimed by the Reiner camp for year-long preschool.

Such a successful program should draw keen interest from Reiner. In fact, Kern County education officials met with Reiner and briefed him on Ready to Start. The former television actor balked.

Ready to Start is at least as promising as Reiner's expensive program.

Californians need better answers to the questions about the long-term effectiveness of preschool for all children, the cost-effectiveness of different types of preschool, and the wisdom of entrusting government with ever younger children. Until we have those fiscal and educational answers, Californians should view the Reiner plan as a risky proposition.