PRE-K OUR WAY APPLAUDS SENATE PRESIDENT SWEENEY FOR SUPPORTING PRE-K EXPANSION IN NEW JERSEY

PRE-K OUR WAY APPLAUDS SENATE PRESIDENT SWEENEY FOR SUPPORTING PRE-K EXPANSION IN NEW JERSEY

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Pre-K Our Way, a nonprofit, statewide effort that helps New Jersey’s communities bring high-quality pre-k to their children, applauds Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3) for his support of legislation to expand New Jersey’s high-quality preschool program to more communities throughout the state.

New Jersey has one of the most successful and high-quality public preschool programs in the country; however, fewer than 40 communities have access to one of these programs. Senate President Sweeney called for the expansion of full-day preschool as part of his “New Jersey: Investing In You” initiative proposed last fall. Legislation, S-997, that would expand preschool to an additional 17 districts throughout the state was recently introduced in the State Senate.

“Senate President Sweeney has long been an outspoken advocate for the expansion of preschool education and now has made it a priority for the New Jersey State Senate,” said Sam Crane of Pre-K Our Way. “We appreciate his support in understanding that a strong foundation of educational success early on in a child’s life will have lasting impacts on our kids’ futures. By expanding pre-k education to more communities in New Jersey, we can make our children prepared for school and ready for success.”

Senate President Sweeney recently said the following regarding early education expansion in the state: “If there is one thing we know about education, it is that early investments pay off big for students in their academic careers and that the benefits of high-quality preschool programs continue well into adulthood.”

Senate President Sweeney represents the Third Legislative District, which includes portions of Gloucester and Cumberland counties and all of Salem County, including the communities of Alloway, Bridgeton, Carneys Point, Clayton, Deerfield, East Greenwich, Elk, Elmer, Elsinboro, Franklin, Glassboro, Greenwich, Logan, Lower Alloways Creek, Mannington, National Park, Newfield, Oldmans, Paulsboro, Penns Grove, Pennsville, Pilesgrove, Pittsgrove, Quinton, Salem, South Harrison, Swedesboro, Upper Deerfield, Upper Pittsgrove, West Deptford, Woodbury Heights, Woodstown, and Woolwich.

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Pre-K Our Way, a nonpartisan and nonprofit community-based organization, coordinated through a diverse group of business leaders, parents, foundations, early childhood educators, community leaders interested citizens and elected officials, engages communities on expanding NJ’s existing high-quality public preschool for their children. Visit our website at www.prekourway.org for more information.