$20 Million Awarded to Expand High-Quality Preschool in 18 School Districts

Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Department of Education Acting Commissioner Kevin Dehmer recently announced that 18 school districts have received fiscal year 2025 preschool expansion funds to establish or expand access to high-quality preschool programs in the 2024-2025 school year.

The nearly $20 million, which was included in the fiscal year 2025 budget, is estimated to provide more than 1,200 additional children the opportunity to attend a high-quality preschool program. State-funded, high-quality preschool programs now exist in 293 New Jersey school districts – 229 of which have been established during the Murphy
administration.

“Our investment in early childhood provides the youngest learners with a solid foundation for success,” Murphy said. “Today’s announcement builds on my ongoing commitment to expand early childhood education to more communities, with the long-term goal of ensuring every 3- and 4-year-old in the state has access to a high-quality preschool program.”

“The rapid expansion of preschool programs throughout New Jersey has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Kevin Dehmer, acting commissioner of education. “Governor Murphy’s continued support means that, with the addition of the programs that are being announced today, we are now providing nearly 77,000 children in New Jersey with a state funded high-quality preschool program, each and every year. That’s a huge number of young lives whose futures will be broadened by our state’s efforts.”

School districts receiving an award demonstrated they can provide a high-quality preschool program to enrolled students. A high-quality preschool is defined as a full-day program with a certificated teacher, an aide, a curriculum aligned with the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards, and small classes that are inclusive of children with special needs who have an individualized education plan. Awarded districts will open programs by winter.

The fiscal year 2025 budget appropriated $20 million to support awards to districts expanding existing preschool programs or districts creating new preschool programs.
The following is a list of the 18 school districts receiving preschool expansion funds for 2024-2025:

* Denotes districts that previously operated preschool programs via state Early Childhood Program Aid and the Early Launch to Learning Initiative funding. The 2024-2025 state preschool aid will allow them to expand to a high- quality preschool program.