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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced the awarding of $51.9 million in federal grant funding. The announcement was made at the New Jersey Education Association Convention in Atlantic City. The funding will support 23 school districts and 30 projects aimed at creating, expanding, and renovating preschool facilities statewide.
The lack of adequate facilities has been a major obstacle for certain school districts in establishing high-quality preschools. To address this, the state’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget included $120 million for grants for preschool facilities expansion. This funding, made possible by federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars, marks the first time that preschool facility expansion grants were available to Regular Operating Districts.
Governor Murphy stated, “This funding will enable more districts to expand their capacity to offer full-day preschool programming to more students, building upon our efforts to provide every 3- and 4-year-old child in our state with access to high-quality pre-K.” He emphasized that equitable access to early childhood education is key to ensuring the long-term success of children and the state. The administration will continue to work towards bringing free, full-day pre-K to every district throughout New Jersey.
Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan, Acting Commissioner of Education, echoed the Governor’s sentiments. She said, “This funding will increase capacity, a barrier that some communities have faced in the effort to bring high-quality preschool to each community. This funding will also support our initiative to ensure that school districts can provide an enriching, high-quality preschool environment for the benefit of generations of students for years to come.”
The high-quality, full-day preschool programs will provide smaller class sizes inclusive of students with special needs and will be led by a certified teacher and aide.
The 30 projects that have qualified for these preliminary grants had a total need of nearly $113.5 million in estimated project costs. The New Jersey Department of Education will cover approximately $51.9 million as the State’s share of preschool facilities in those districts; the State share is set at a minimum of 40 percent of the total estimated project costs.
New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) President Sean M. Spiller commended Governor Murphy for his commitment. He said, “We know that expanded early childhood education is one of the best investments we can make in our children’s success and our future prosperity as a state.”
A second round of funding may be announced at a later date with the remaining funding for preschool facility grants. Preliminary award amounts including both the State and local share for each project range from approximately $113,000 to over $13 million.