Oct. 6, 2022: Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex) speaks at the announcement of funding for phase 1 of the New Jersey Strategic Plan for Preschool Expansion. Photo Credit: NJ Governor's Office

As Gov. Phil Murphy promotes universal pre-K, private providers say regulations inhibit public-private partnerships

Private preschool providers are pushing for their inclusion in efforts to expand free, high-quality preschool in New Jersey.

As Gov. Phil Murphy continues to promote New Jersey’s public preschool program — one of the most ambitious in the country — the program continues to grapple with how to provide the schooling through both public and private partners.

At the State Board of Education meeting this month, several private preschool providers who partner with local districts said they are willing and ready to work with local schools to offer preschool to more students and families.

But certain regulations and other obstacles are holding them back, they and others said, making it harder to bring preschool to more kids.

“More mixed-delivery partnerships must be developed in order for the state to achieve its laudable goal of universal preschool,” said Elsa Jacobsen, director of state policy and government relations at the Early Care and Education Consortium.

The issue is not a new one in the state, but the latest push by private providers comes as Murphy reinforced his support for making preschool universal for all 3- and 4-year-olds in New Jersey during his annual State of the State address last week.

Murphy’s pre-K push

Under Murphy, 229 school districts have created preschool programs, according to his office, bringing the total to 293 or roughly half of New Jersey school districts, with more to come.

Murphy also said in the speech that he wants universal all-day kindergarten, something offered in most districts but not all, with less than a dozen offering half-day programs or requiring parents to pay for a full-day option.

“We will save every parent money by offering them a free, safe, and enriching environment to leave their child during the workday, whether it be full-day K or universal pre-K,” Murphy said in his speech.

Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex) introduced a bill in November that would establish a framework for preschool expansion aid that prioritizes at-risk students. Under the bill, districts that do not already have free, full-day kindergarten would not be eligible for preschool expansion aid.

But as the state’s programs have grown, the mixed-delivery system that relies on private centers as well as public has been a fragile balancing act. To participate, private centers must follow the same staffing requirements and curricula as public centers, and it requires the willingness of local districts as well.

Ruiz’s bill would require districts that receive preschool education aid to implement a mixed-delivery method, combining the resources of district programs, licensed childcare providers and Head Start programs.

Regulatory constraints

Jacobsen, from the Early Care and Education Consortium, said only 90 of the districts with preschool work with community-based providers.

“New Jersey is not fully providing preschool through a mixed-delivery model, one that leverages the expertise and infrastructure of community-based providers and the public schools,” Jacobsen said.

New Jersey gives districts the option to contract with private providers, but most are not required to do so. (Abbott districts are required to collaborate with all “willing and able private providers.”) That leaves districts partnering with private providers rarely or not at all, bringing about negative, unintended consequences, Jacobsen said.

The lack of long-term contracts makes it difficult to make substantial investments in facilities and programs because of the uncertainty around funding, said James Freda, owner of the Goddard School in Sparta

When private providers lose 3- and 4-year-olds to free district programs, it becomes harder for them to keep their schools open. This can limit the preschool options available to parents and cause a loss of jobs.

“Including community-based providers in the state’s preschool program helps leverage the existing infrastructure and also helps expand preschool options for families,” Jacobsen said.

Cost issues

Timothy Hoy, the owner of the Goddard School in Hillsborough, said his school is one of many losing its 4-year-old students to district programs. This can make it more difficult to care for and educate younger children because their care is more expensive with lower student-to-teacher ratios required, providers said.

James Freda, the owner of the Goddard School in Sparta, said the school has an “invaluable” partnership with the local school district, helping to serve more than 150 children and employ 35 staff members. Working with the district has also allowed staff to access helpful coaching and instructional materials. It has also helped students transition more smoothly to different programs as they grow, he said.

“Investing in early childhood education yields significant long-term benefits for our children, our communities and our state,” Freda said.

‘We can point to several communities where the mixed-delivery private and public partnership has worked.’ — Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex)

Still, the lack of long-term contracts makes it difficult to make substantial investments in facilities and programs because of the uncertainty around funding, Freda said.

Many providers urged the Department of Education to alter its classroom space requirement for preschools to align it with the Department of Children and Families’ requirement for licensed childcare providers, which is smaller. The Department of Children and Families requires licensed childcare centers to have at least 35 square feet of usable activity floor space for each child in centers that began operating on or after July 1, 1989 and serve 16 or more children. The Department of Education requires a minimum of 950 square feet per classroom, including 750 square feet of usable space.

Providers said the discrepancy in classroom space requirements makes it difficult for them to participate in the state preschool program without costly facility renovations. Retrofitting a multipurpose room or combining classrooms to meet state standards can cost $25,000 to $30,000, said Jenna Borkoski, government relations manager for the Learning Care Group, which serves 2,900 kids in New Jersey.

What happened in Edison

Cindy Shields, early childhood senior policy analyst at Advocates for Children of New Jersey, said true mixed-delivery is best practice and has numerous advantages, such as economic stability for families and greater parental choice.

Shields said private providers in Edison spent a lot of time and money to modify facilities, hire certified teachers and purchase a state-approved curriculum only for the district’s application for preschool expansion funding to be rejected.

“What happened in Edison underscores the challenges posed by the unrealistic timelines for application submission, approval notification and program implementation, none of which align with the academic school year,” Shields said.

If Ruiz’s bill becomes law, districts would be required to submit a plan to the commissioner of education by July 1, 2025 to reach free, full-day preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds by a date determined by the district.

Ruiz said the process would include mixed-delivery options so that districts won’t need to start from scratch.

‘We know that it’s successful,” Ruiz said. “We can point to several communities where the mixed-delivery private and public partnership has worked.”

Vital to child development?

Ruiz said there is a huge difference in the abilities of students who attended preschool and those who didn’t when they show up on the first day of kindergarten, which is why preschool needs to be universal. She said the state must establish a framework for how programs should grow, prioritizing at-risk students.

Ruiz’s bill directs the education commissioner to give preference in expansion aid to districts with more at-risk students. These students would also be the first in their district to have access to free preschool if the bill becomes law.

Ruiz said it’s likely there will be changes to the bill, which is currently before the Senate Education Committee. Assemblywoman Andrea Katz (D-Atlantic) and Assemblyman Sterley Stanley (D-Middlesex) are the bill sponsors in the Assembly.

Photo Credit: NJ Governor's Office