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A1096 • 2026

Establishes one-time grant program to support implementation of free, full-day kindergarten programs in certain school districts; appropriates $5 million.

Establishes one-time grant program to support implementation of free, full-day kindergarten programs in certain school districts; appropriates $5 million.

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Clifton, Robert D.
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Establishes one-time grant program to support implementation of free, full-day kindergarten programs in certain school districts; appropriates $5 million.

Establishes one-time grant program to support implementation of free, full-day kindergarten programs in certain school districts; appropriates $5 million.

What This Bill Does

  • Establishes one-time grant program to support implementation of free, full-day kindergarten programs in certain school districts; appropriates $5 million.
  • Topic: Education Fiscal note: This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

Official Summary Text

Establishes one-time grant program to support implementation of free, full-day kindergarten programs in certain school districts; appropriates $5 million.
Topic:
Education
Fiscal note:
This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A1096

ASSEMBLY, No. 1096

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ROBERT D. CLIFTON

District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)

Assemblywoman AURA K. DUNN

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes one-time grant program to support
implementation of free, full-day kindergarten programs in certain school
districts; appropriates $5 million.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

establishing a grant program to support
kindergarten programs in certain school districts.�

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� a. The Commissioner of
Education shall establish a one-time grant program to support the
implementation of free, full-day kindergarten programs in school districts
that, at the time of application pursuant to subsection b. of this section, do
not offer free, full-day kindergarten.

���� b.� A school district that
seeks to participate in the grant program shall submit for approval an
application to the commissioner in a manner and form to be determined by the
commissioner. The application shall, at a minimum, include a plan detailing how
the district will implement the free, full-day kindergarten program and
estimate the costs associated with the program.

���� c. Contingent on the
commissioner�s approval of a school district�s application submitted pursuant
to subsection b. of this section, grants shall, within the limit of funds
appropriated pursuant to section 2 of this act, be evenly distributed to the
following school districts:

���� (1) Moorestown Township Public
School District;

���� (2) Haddonfield School
District;

���� (3) Metuchen Public School
District;

���� (4) Monroe Township School
District;

���� (5) Millstone Township School
District;

���� (6) School District of the
Chathams;

���� (7) Bridgewater-Raritan
Regional School District;

���� (8) Hillsborough Township
Public School District;

���� (9) Cranford Public School
District; and

���� (10) Westfield Public School
District.

���� 2. �There is appropriated from
the General Fund to the Department of Education the sum of $5,000,000 for the
implementation of the grant program established pursuant to section 1 of this
act.

���� 3. �This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill directs the
Commissioner of Education to establish a one-time grant program to support the
implementation of free, full-day kindergarten programs in school districts that
do not currently offer the programs.

���� The most recent information
for the 2024-2025 school year indicates there are 10 school districts that do
not offer free, full-day kindergarten: Moorestown Township Public School
District; Haddonfield School District; Metuchen Public School District; Monroe
Township School District; Millstone Township School District; School District
Of The Chathams; Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District; Hillsborough
Township Public School District; Cranford Public School District; and Westfield
Public School District.

���� The bill requires school
districts to submit an application to the commissioner that includes a plan on
how the district will implement free, full-day kindergarten and the costs
associated with doing so.

���� The bill appropriates $5
million for the grant program, and the grants would be evenly distributed to
the eligible districts.