CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Florida TaxWatch urged Gov. Jeb Bush on Monday to veto a bill implementing the pre-kindergarten amendment, saying it does not go far enough to satisfy the Florida voters who approved it in 2002.

Leaders of the nonprofit research organization said the Legislature stumbled in developing the bill, and they questioned whether the program would be cost-effective and provide quality instruction.

"The product that came out did not meet the governor's standard and most importantly, not the standard of the people and taxpayers of Florida," said Dominic Calabro, the group's president.

Bush said he was still undecided on the measure, citing a need to meet with Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings, who was the administration's point person on the bill. Bush has expressed concerns with the bill, but said he could sign it with assurances from lawmakers that it would be improved next year.

"We haven't developed our strategy yet so we're on hold," Bush said in Tallahassee.

Voters overwhelmingly supported the plan giving parents of all Florida 4-year-olds the ability to choose between pre-k programs offered by public schools and the private sector.

Lawmakers approved a bill for pupils to attend class three hours per day, one hour shy of what Bush had sought. It also provides for a 10-to-1 child-to-teacher ratio, smaller than what House lawmakers sought along with a $7 million summer pilot program to begin in July in 10 school districts.

The Legislature needs to pass a pre-k plan by July 2005, but many supporters of the bill wanted to put it in place this year.

Calabro said the bill was limited in the amount of staffing and facilities devoted to the program and would likely create a situation where most of the seats would be taken by children whose families can most afford to pay, hurting at-risk students.

He was joined by Bush's former Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan, the president of Florida Atlantic University, and former state GOP chairman Tom Slade. Both serve on the group's education advisory committee.

Brogan also urged a veto, saying there would be more of an urgency next session to produce an improved bill. He questioned whether Bush would be able to sign the measure with promises of changes next year.

"If you grab what you think is the brass ring, it's liable to stay that way forever," Brogan said. "The Legislature, once passing a piece of legislation, is not often inclined to want to make it better."

TaxWatch also released a report on student achievement on Monday, comparing performance among the counties in Florida, the nation and the rest of the world. The report found that while student achievement continues to rise, disparities exist between individual counties and among students of different racial backgrounds.

Its findings mirrored what Bush detailed last week in issuing results of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, in which more than half the students were reading at or above grade level for the first time.