Only these lucky NJ school districts offer full-day preschool

There were more than 260 public school districts in New Jersey offering free, full-day preschool programs as of fall 2023 — not quite half of the state's than 590 operating public school districts.

Of those programs, 26 districts were recently awarded a total of $25 million in state funding for universal preschool and would have programs launched by January 2024.

To be eligible for pre-k funding, districts must first offer full-day kindergarten.

Districts in each county have received funds to add programs — from at least three in Mercer County to more than two dozen in Camden County.

This year marked the first time any school district was able to apply for state preschool-expansion funding.

Last year, the application process was available only to districts with 10% or more of student enrollment from low-income families.

Read More: NJ school districts that do not have free full day Kindergarten

Full-day school for students younger than 5 has not been made a state requirement — with the only exception being required full-day K programs at the former Abbott school districts.

Of existing full-day preschool programs, 195 have been funded under Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration.

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