NJ Senator Joins Push To Expand Free Pre-K, Kindergarten

NEWARK, NJ — A state senator with ties to Newark is one of the lawmakers partnering with Gov. Phil Murphy on a renewed drive to expand free preschool and kindergarten in New Jersey.

Sen. Teresa Ruiz, who represents Newark, East Newark and Harrison in the 29th District, was one of several lawmakers present at Tuesday’s news conference at Maurice Hawk Elementary School in West Windsor.

The goal? To continue the drive for “free full-day kindergarten” and “free universal preschool.”

In his 2025 state of the state address, Murphy said these two initiatives are some of his top priorities for his final year in office. It’s a road the state is already traveling down, he said: over the past seven years, funding for public preschool has increased by over $550 million, with New Jersey currently spending $1.2 billion to stand up and sustain programs in communities across the state.

According to the governor’s office, 293 elementary-serving school districts in New Jersey currently offer some form of “free, high-quality preschool” to local residents. But the push to expand access to early childhood education isn’t stopping there, Murphy added.

The governor said he and some other fellow Democratic lawmakers – including Ruiz, the Senate majority leader – have been working on several pieces of legislation to keep the ball rolling.

The list includes:

• Codify Preschool Funding – “Preschool education aid is currently distributed through budget language. By enacting separate legislation, we are making the program more reliable for the future.”
• Require access to full-day kindergarten – “All five-year-old students will be ensured access to free, full-day kindergarten.”
• Strengthen Mixed Delivery – “The Department of Education will develop a mixed delivery handbook to clarify and standardize the process of forming agreements between school districts and private providers.”
• Create the Preschool Teacher Pipeline Investment Program – “The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education would have to publish guidance on dual admission programs for early childhood education studies. The Departments of Human Services and Children and Families would have to publish joint guidance for child care centers to implement graduated salary scales for private teachers working towards preschool certification.”

“Investing in early education is one of the most powerful ways to transform our communities,” Ruiz said. “It offers dual benefits — providing students with a strong educational foundation while easing the financial burden of child care for parents.”

“It’s long past time for full-day kindergarten to be the standard in every New Jersey school, a crucial step toward building a unified early childhood ecosystem and achieving universal pre-K,” she added.

Last year, Ruiz introduced a proposed law, S-3910, that would “equitably accelerate” pre-K expansion by “prioritizing communities with the greatest need and ensuring long-term sustainability.”

The bill requires districts not currently offering full-day kindergarten to include its implementation in their plan before they can become eligible for preschool expansion aid.

• See Related: Millions In Funding Is Coming To Expand Child Care In New Jersey
• See Related: NJ Still Plagued By High Child Care Costs, Low Worker Wages: Advocates

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