01/03/2022
Pre-K Our Way officially sunset at the close of 2021 and conducted its final operations through February 28, 2022. Since its inception in 2015 as a unique targeted advocacy effort with a clear, strategic focus, Pre-K Our Way’s goals remained simple: make NJ’s state-funded, full-day pre-k a state-wide priority, and have NJ’s elected leaders fund a long-existing law for pre-k expansion which had not been funded.
Pre-K Our Way's most lasting achievement is that NJ's state-funded, full-day pre-k became and remains a statewide priority. When Pre-K Our Way started, there were 35 school districts with NJ’s state-funded, full-day pre-k – only the original districts funded by state-law; there had been zero movement or new funding for nearly 20 years. As of February 28, 2022, there are 180 school districts with NJ's Pre-K. Pre-K Our Way's advocacy expanded the eligibility for state-funded pre-k from the initial number of 75 districts to a total of 305 and increased the number of eligible students within each district. As they stated in a September 2021 press conference and since, the governor and NJDOE are committed to universal pre-k.
Pre-K Our Way set the conversation and provided the targeted, strategic advocacy for New Jersey's advances in pre-k expansion - and early education.
