Requires certain school districts to partner with licensed child care providers and Head Start programs to provide free preschool opportunities.

A4842

ASSEMBLY, No. 4842

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 4, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Assemblywoman� SHAMA A. HAIDER

District 37 (Bergen)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Kearney and Assemblywoman Morales

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires certain school districts to partner with
licensed child care providers and Head Start programs to provide free preschool
opportunities.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning preschool education, amending P.L.1995,
c.235 and P.L.2025, c.100, and supplementing chapter 44 of Title 18A of the New
Jersey Statutes.

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

���� 1. �(New section)� a. Notwithstanding
the provisions of any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a school
district, which is in receipt of a preschool expansion grant pursuant to
section 6 of P.L.2025, c.100 (C.��� ) in the first full school year following
the date of enactment of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill) or any school year thereafter, shall, in any school
year in which the district is in receipt of the preschool expansion grant and
any school year thereafter in which the district is in receipt of preschool
education aid pursuant to section 12 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-54), provide
free preschool education services through partnerships with licensed child care
providers and Head Start programs in the school district�s community, in
addition to any preschool programs operated by the district.� Any licensed
child care provider or Head Start program that enters into a partnership with a
district to provide preschool education services shall meet the standards for
high quality preschool set forth by the Department of Education.

���� b.� A school district in receipt
of a preschool expansion grant pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2025, c.100 (C.���
) in the first full school year following the date of enactment of P.L.��� ,
c.���� (C. ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill) or any school year thereafter may not, in any school
year in which the district is in receipt of the preschool expansion grant and
any school year thereafter in which the district is in receipt of preschool
education aid pursuant to section 12 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-54), use State
funds to operate more than two preschool classrooms in a school building of the
district in any school year.� All preschool classrooms in excess of that amount
shall be provided through licensed child care providers and Head Start programs
located in the district�s immediate and neighboring communities. �School
districts that received a preschool expansion grant or were receiving preschool
education aid prior to the first full school year following the date of enactment
of P.L.�� �, c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)
may not expand the number of preschool classrooms in a school building of the
district above the amount in operation at the time of enactment of P.L.��� ,
c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� c.� A school district may
apply to the department for a waiver of the capacity restriction established
pursuant to subsection b. of this section on the basis that the district is
able to demonstrate a lack of available licensed child care providers and Head
Start programs to meet the needs of the district.� A waiver granted by the
department shall be valid for one school year.

���� d.� Notwithstanding the
provisions of any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a school district that
is in receipt of a preschool expansion grant pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2025,
c.100 (C.��� ) shall, in fulfilling the requirements of subsection a. of this
section, utilize competitive contracting in the procurement of preschool
education services provided by a licensed childcare provider or Head Start
program. �The competitive contracting process for the procurement of preschool
education services required pursuant to this subsection shall be conducted in
accordance with the applicable provisions of sections 45 through 49 of
P.L.1999, c.440 (C.18A:18A-4.1 through C.18A:18A-4.5). �Each licensed child
care provider and Head Start program that is interested in partnering with the
district shall submit a proposal to the district, which shall include, at a
minimum, a discussion of how the licensed child care provider or Head Start program
meets the required standards for high quality preschool.� The district shall
make public a list of licensed child care providers and Head Start programs
that submitted a proposal and the decision made as it regards a partnership
with each provider.

���� e.� The Department of
Education shall make available technical assistance and training to assist
licensed child care providers and Head Start programs in meeting the required
standards for high quality preschool and partnering with school districts to
provide free preschool education services.� Assistance shall be prioritized for
licensed child care providers and Head Start programs that are located in
underserved or high-need communities, as determined by the Commissioner of
Education.

���� f.� The Department of
Education shall establish a grant program for the purpose of assisting licensed
child care providers and Head Start programs in meeting the standards for high
quality preschool and establishing effective partnerships with school districts
to provide free preschool education services.� In selecting grant recipients,
the commissioner may prioritize applicants that are located in underserved or
high-need communities, as determined by the commissioner.

���� 2.� Section 3 of P.L.1995,
c.235 (C.18A:7E-3) is amended to read as follows:

���� 3.��� Report cards issued
pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1995, c.235 (C.18A:7E-2) shall include, but not be
limited to, the following information for:

���� a.���� the school district and
for each school within the district, as appropriate:

���� (1)�� results of the
elementary assessment programs;

���� (2)�� results of the Early
Warning Test;

���� (3)�� results of the High
School Proficiency Test;

���� (4)�� daily attendance records
for students and professional staff;

���� (5)�� student graduation and
dropout rates;

���� (6)�� annual student scores on
the Scholastic Aptitude Test;

���� (7)�� total student
enrollment, percentage of limited English proficient students, percentage of
students in advanced placement courses, and any other school characteristics
which the commissioner deems appropriate;

���� (8)�� instructional resources
including teacher/student ratio, average class size and amount of instructional
time per day, as calculated by formulas specified by the commissioner;

���� (9)�� a written narrative by
the school principal or a designee which describes any special achievements,
events, problems or initiatives of the school or district;

���� (10) data identifying the
number and nature of all reports of harassment, intimidation, or bullying;

���� (11) indicators of student
career readiness;

���� (12) the number and percentage
of students who were chronically absent, as defined in rules and regulations
promulgated by the Commissioner of Education within 90 days of the effective
date of P.L.2018, c.23 (C.18A:38-25.1 et al.), including the number and percentage
of students who were chronically absent disaggregated by multiple student
subgroups to be determined by the commissioner;

���� (13) the number, percentage,
and demographics, including race, gender, disability, grade level, and
eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch under the National School Lunch
Program, of students who received one or more suspensions or expulsions or who
were reported to or arrested by law enforcement, by category of offense,
pursuant to the provisions of the Uniform State Memorandum of Agreement Between
Education and Law Enforcement Officials; and

���� (14) the number of school
psychologists, school counselors, social workers, student assistance
coordinators, and other mental health professionals employed by, or under
contract with, the school district to provide mental health services to
students, and the ratio of students to the total number of mental health
professionals providing services in the school and the district;
[
and
]

���� (15) the number of school�
safety specialists; and

����
(16)� the number of
students enrolled in district-operated preschool programs, licensed child care
providers, and Head Start programs, preschool capacity trends in the district,
and information about the licensed child care providers and Head Start programs
partnering with the district to provide free preschool opportunities; and

���� b.��� the school district, as
appropriate:

���� (1)�� per pupil expenditures
and State aid ratio;

���� (2)�� percent of budget
allocated for salaries and benefits of administrative personnel;

���� (3)�� percent of budget
allocated for salaries and benefits of teachers;

���� (4)�� percentage increase over
the previous year for salaries and benefits of administrative and instructional
personnel;

���� (5)�� the number of
administrative personnel and the ratio of administrative personnel to
instructional personnel;

���� (6)�� a profile of the most
recent graduating class concerning their educational or employment plans
following graduation; and

���� (7)�� any other information
which the commissioner deems appropriate.

���� For the purposes of this
section, the Commissioner of Education shall establish a uniform methodology
for the reporting of the data concerning administrative personnel on a
full-time equivalent basis.

(cf: P.L.2021, c.387, s.1)

���� 3.� Section 6 of P.L.2025,
c.100 (C.18A:7F-54.1) is amended to read as follows:

����� 6.�
a. The Department of Education shall, within the limit of funds appropriated,
annually provide at least one opportunity to award preschool expansion grants
in accordance with the provisions of
P.L.2025, c.100
(C.18A:44-7 et al.)
. A school district shall be eligible to apply for
and receive a preschool expansion grant if the district provides full-day
kindergarten at the time of application and meets any other criteria the
Commissioner of Education deems appropriate. An eligible school district shall
submit an application to the commissioner, in a manner and form determined by
the commissioner, which application shall include, but not be limited to, the
following:

����� (1)�
a general overview of the district�s proposed preschool program operational
plan;

����� (2)�
enrollment projections for preschool students, other than preschool students
with disabilities, for the next five years;

����� (3)�
a description of the district�s proposed preschool curriculum;

����� (4)�
a description of intended strategies to ensure the inclusion of preschool
children with disabilities in general education settings to the maximum extent
possible;

����� (5)�
a description of intended strategies to annually identify and recruit families
of at-risk pupils and other hard-to-reach populations, and subsequently ensure
these children receive priority placement in the preschool program;

����� (6)�

in the case of a school district applying for a preschool expansion grant
that will be distributed to the district prior to the first full school year
following the date of enactment of P.L.��� , c.���� (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill),
a demonstration of due
diligence to partner with all ready, willing, and able licensed child care
providers and Head Start programs in the district�s immediate and neighboring
communities, which shall be made in a manner determined by the commissioner and
shall include, but not be limited to, documenting all efforts the applicant
made to engage with all licensed child care providers and Head Start programs
in the applicant�s immediate and neighboring communities

.� In the
case of a school district applying for a preschool expansion grant that will be
distributed to the district in the first full school year following the date of
enactment of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as
this bill) and any school year thereafter, the application shall include a discussion
of all licensed child care providers and Head Start programs with which the
district intends to partner in order to fulfill the requirements of subsection
a. of section 1 of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill) and the capacity of each licensed child care provider
and Head Start program to provide preschool services
;

����� (7)�
an analysis of community need
[
and the potential impact of a mixed delivery model
of preschool education
]

for a preschool program,
in a format
determined by the commissioner
[
or, if the applicant does not propose a mixed
delivery model, justification for the decision not to do so, which
justification shall include evidence that the district has adequate facility
and staffing resources to implement high-quality preschool education without a
mixed delivery model or that extenuating circumstances in the eligible school
district�s community limit accessibility to, or feasibility of partnership
with, licensed childcare centers and Head Start programs
]
; and

����� (8)�
a description of the strategies the district has in place for serving eligible
preschool students, with a five-year plan to serve 90 percent of the district�s
universe of three- and four-year olds.�

����� b.
In determining preschool expansion grant amounts and recipients, the
commissioner shall give preference to districts in accordance with the
concentration of at-risk pupils, as defined in section 3 of P.L.2007, c.260
(C.18A:7F-45).� Preference given pursuant to this subsection shall ensure that,
all other application criteria being equal, applicants with higher
concentrations of at-risk students receive funding priority. The commissioner
may prioritize applicants representing a consortium of school districts
agreeing to make a high-quality preschool program available in all member
districts.

����� c.
The Department of Education, the Department of Children and Families, and the
Department of Human Services shall maintain on the departments� Internet
websites a page that includes:

����� (1)
a list of all districts offering State-funded preschool for the school year;

����� (2)
a list of all districts eligible to apply for preschool expansion grants for
the school year;

����� (3)
a list of all licensed child care providers and Head Start programs in each
district�s community, as well as in neighboring communities; and

����� (4)
the contact information for all district-operated preschool programs, licensed
child care providers, and Head Start programs.

����� d.�
The Department of Education, the Department of Children and Families, and the
Department of Human Services shall annually update the information required
pursuant to subsection c. of this section no later than July 14 of each year.�
The Department of Education, the Department of Children and Families, and the
Department of Human Services shall update the information required pursuant to
subsection c. of this section in a timely manner after any preschool expansion
grants are awarded.

(cf: P.L.2025, c.100, s.6)

���� 4.� Section 7 of P.L.2025,
c.100 (C.18A:44-11) is amended to read as follows:

���� 7.� a. A school district that
receives preschool education aid pursuant to section 12 of P.L.2007, c.260
(C.18A:7F-54) shall:

���� (1)� demonstrate due diligence
to partner with all ready, willing, and able licensed child care providers and
Head Start programs in the immediate and neighboring communities
, except
that a school district that is required to establish partnerships with licensed
child care providers and Head Start programs to provide free preschool services
pursuant to section 1 of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill) shall provide documentation of these partnerships in
a form to be determined by the Commissioner of Education
; and

���� (2) �submit to the Department
of Education an annual program plan detailing the status of the district�s
preschool program implementation. The plan shall include information specified
by the commissioner, including but not limited to:

���� (a) �the district�s
comprehensive curriculum;

���� (b) �protocol for how
students� families can access community services, including services offered by
licensed child care providers and Head Start programs;

���� (c) �a description of how the
district conducts outreach to families to determine individual family needs,
advocate on their behalf, and obtain appropriate community services; and

���� (d) a description of how the
district identifies and recruits families of at-risk pupils and other
hard-to-reach populations, and subsequently ensures these children receive
priority placement in the preschool program.

���� b. A school district that
receives preschool education aid pursuant to section 12 of P.L.2007, c.260
(C.18A:7F-54) shall participate in a system of self-assessment for continuous
quality improvement approved by the Department of Education to inform the school
district of the status of its preschool program implementation. The system
shall identify program areas in need of improvement based on a self-assessment,
and shall include a validation visit by a State team at least once every three
years. The department may, based on the results of a district�s self-assessment
and the validation visit, require the district to complete an improvement plan.
The improvement plan shall include a detailed explanation and timeline of the
steps the district will take to improve areas identified for improvement.

(cf: P.L.2025, c.100, s.7)

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires school
districts in receipt of preschool expansion grants to establish partnerships
with licensed child care providers and Head Start programs in the community.� The
requirement would apply to school districts receiving a preschool expansion
grant in the first full school year following the bill�s enactment or in any
school year thereafter.�

���� The bill prohibits a school
district, which receives a preschool expansion grant in the first full school
year following the bill�s enactment or in any school year thereafter, from
using State funds to operate more than two preschool classrooms in a school
building.� All preschool opportunities in excess of that amount are to be
provided through licensed child care providers and Head Start programs located
within the school district or in the surrounding area.� The school district is
to engage in competitive contracting to procure partnerships with licensed
child care providers and Head Start programs in the community and make public a
list of licensed child care providers and Head Start programs that submitted a
proposal and the decision made as it regards a partnership with each provider.

���� A school district may apply to
the department for a waiver of the capacity restriction on the basis that the
district is able to demonstrate a lack of available licensed child care
providers and Head Start programs to meet the needs of the district.� A waiver
granted by the department is to be valid for one school year.

���� The Department of Education is
to establish a grant program and make available technical assistance and
training to assist licensed child care providers and Head Start programs in
meeting the required standards for high quality preschool and transitioning to
partner with districts for the provision of free preschool opportunities.

���� According to the sponsor, this
bill recognizes the foundational role community-based childcare providers play
in early childhood development and workforce support.� By requiring
partnerships in preschool education delivery, it is the sponsor�s intent that
this bill will help to avoid displacement of providers, preserve access to
child care services for infants and toddlers, maintain parental choice, and
create a mixed delivery system that equitably expands access to high quality
preschool.