TRENTON – Today, Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz and Senator Shirley K. Turner joined Governor Phil Murphy at Maurice Hawk Elementary School in West Windsor-Plainsboro to continue their push for all students to access free, full-day kindergarten and advance New Jersey’s path to free, universal preschool.
“Investing in early education is one of the most powerful ways to transform our communities. It offers dual benefits — providing students with a strong educational foundation while easing the financial burden of childcare for parents,” said Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex/Hudson). “It’s long past time for full-day kindergarten to be the standard in every New Jersey school, a crucial step toward building a unified early childhood ecosystem and achieving universal pre-K.”
“As someone who has spent my career in education, and as someone who was a working mother, I can’t stress enough just how important kindergarten programs are, both to our children and to working families,” said Senator Shirley K. Turner, Vice Chair of the Senate Education Committee and representative for Legislative District 15, where Maurice Hawk Elementary is located (D-Mercer/Hunterdon). “Kindergarten offers more learning and socialization time, helps teachers identify challenges early, and relieves parents of the financial burden of paying for daycare, which is costing many families as much as their rent or mortgage. Expanding full-day kindergarten to the schools that still lack these programs is crucial to ensure no child starts their academic journey behind their peers.”
Maurice Hawk Elementary School is in its second year of offering full-day kindergarten, a move that has yielded significant benefits for students, parents, and the wider community.
Fewer than a dozen of New Jersey’s nearly 600 school districts do not offer full-day kindergarten programs. In his State of the State address, Governor Murphy highlighted closing this gap as one of his top priorities for his final year in office.
At Maurice Hawk Elementary School, the Governor thanked Senators Ruiz and Turner for their work in bringing early childhood programs to more communities.
Last year, Senator Ruiz introduced legislation, S-3910, to responsibly and equitably accelerate pre-K expansion, prioritizing communities with the greatest need and ensuring long-term sustainability. The bill requires districts not currently offering full-day kindergarten to include its implementation in their plan before they can become eligible for preschool expansion aid.
Senators Ruiz and Turner have been steadfast advocates for early childhood education, working tirelessly to advance legislation that ensures every school district in New Jersey implements full-day kindergarten, laying the foundation for equitable and accessible early learning opportunities for all.