In a significant boost for early-childhood education, the Berlin Borough School District has received $1.6 million in preschool expansion funds as part of the state’s fiscal 2025 budget.
“This investment in early education will help give our kids the strong start they deserve, laying the foundation for lifelong success,” said state Assemblyman Louis Greenwald.
Gov. Phil Murphy and Acting Commissioner of Education Kevin Dehmer recently announced a total of $20 million in preschool expansion funds for the state’s 18 school districts. They were expected to provide preschool education for more than 1,200 additional children in the current school year.
“Our investment in early childhood provides the youngest learners with a solid foundation for success,” Murphy noted. “(The funding) announcement builds on my ongoing commitment to expand early childhood education to more communities, with the long-term goal of ensuring every 3- and 4-year-old in the state has access to a high-quality preschool program.”
The state funds will enable districts to establish new preschool programs or expand on those that already exist. High-quality programs are characterized by full-day classes with certified teachers, a curriculum aligned with the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards, and inclusive classrooms that cater to children with special needs. The newly funded preschool programs are expected to begin by winter.
Acting county Commissioner Kevin Dehmer noted the progress made in expanding preschool programs statewide.
“The rapid expansion of preschool programs throughout New Jersey has been nothing short of extraordinary,” he noted. “Gov. Murphy’s continued support means that … we are now providing nearly 77,000 children in New Jersey with a state-funded, high-quality preschool program each and every year.
“That’s a huge number of young lives whose futures will be broadened by our state’s efforts.”
