Bill > S3910

This bill establishes a comprehensive framework for expanding preschool education and implementing full-day kindergarten across New Jersey. The legislation creates a Universal Preschool Implementation Steering Committee comprised of key state agency leaders to develop a long-term funding methodology for preschool education, with the goal of serving 90 percent of three- and four-year-old children by the 2028-2029 school year. The bill prioritizes expanding access to high-quality preschool programs, particularly for economically disadvantaged families, and emphasizes a mixed delivery model that encourages partnerships between school districts, licensed child care providers, and Head Start programs. School districts receiving preschool education aid must demonstrate efforts to collaborate with local providers, submit annual program implementation plans, and participate in a continuous quality improvement assessment. Additionally, the bill mandates that all school districts provide full-day kindergarten no later than the 2029-2030 school year, with provisions for districts to enter sending-receiving relationships if they cannot immediately implement the program. The legislation also includes provisions to strengthen the preschool workforce, such as encouraging higher education institutions to develop transferable degree pathways for early childhood education.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/S3910