The state of New Jersey has awarded $42 million in federal grants to support the renovation and expansion of preschool facilities across 22 school districts. This funding will create 1,493 new seats in district-provided programs.
These grants are part of the second round of Universal Preschool Facilities Expansion Grants, which allocated $120 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund in the FY23 state budget. The first round, announced in November 2023, provided over $74 million for preschool facilities.
Governor Phil Murphy emphasized the importance of high-quality preschool education, stating, "High-quality preschool can positively impact the trajectory of a child’s life, which is why we have made it our mission to expand access to these critical programs." He described the grant awards as an investment in children's futures and a step towards achieving universal preschool in New Jersey.
Acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer noted that while there is eagerness among families and educators to establish new preschool programs, inadequate facilities have been a significant obstacle. "This initiative marks a significant step towards universal access to high-quality preschool as it makes funding widely available to help school districts build, expand, or renovate school facilities specifically for preschool students," Dehmer said.
The state's approach combines district-provided programs with classrooms contracted through licensed childcare providers and Head Start programs. Althea D. Ford, NJBIA Vice President of Government Affairs, stressed the strategic importance of investments in early childhood education: “State and federal government investment in early childhood education system must be done strategically to not only expand access for working families but also support the full complement of licensed childcare and family providers that offer critical services to families beyond the offerings of the public school system.”
The latest awards were based on four priorities: increasing available preschool seats by at least 10%, enhancing facility capacity or restroom construction/rehabilitation, expanding half-day programs to full-day ones, and guaranteeing additional seats through expanded classroom capacity.
A complete list of grant recipients is available on the state's website.
