The New Jersey Universal Preschool and Kindergarten Act aims to improve access to high-quality preschool education and full-day kindergarten, particularly for economically disadvantaged children and multilingual learners. The bill emphasizes the significance of preschool in enhancing educational outcomes and lifetime earnings, mandating that state-funded programs serve three- and four-year-olds in full-day settings with small class sizes and qualified instructors. It promotes collaboration among district-operated preschool programs, licensed childcare centers, and Head Start programs, while proposing sustainable financial support and ongoing evaluations of early childhood education policies to align with stakeholder expertise and research.

Additionally, the bill amends existing laws related to preschool education aid, ensuring that school districts receiving aid from the Early Launch to Learning Initiative or early childhood program aid in the 2007-2008 school year will continue to receive support while meeting high-quality standards. It establishes a Universal Preschool Implementation Steering Committee to recommend funding methodologies and evaluate pilot programs, and it requires the Department of Education to develop a Mixed Delivery Model Preschool Handbook. The legislation also sets minimum area allowances for students based on grade levels and mandates the Commissioner of Education to adopt necessary regulations for implementation. The act is effective immediately upon approval, which occurred on July 9, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:7F-45, 18A:7F-54
Advance Law: 18A:7F-38, 18A:7F-45, 18A:7F-54, 18A:7G-8
Pamphlet Law: 18A:7F-38, 18A:7F-45, 18A:7F-54, 18A:7G-8