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How Do States Fund Pre-K? Splitting the Bill: A Bellwether Series on Education Finance Equity. #20

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Title: How Do States Fund Pre-K? Splitting the Bill: A Bellwether Series on Education Finance Equity. #20
Language: English
Authors: Bonnie O’Keefe, John Bellaire, Indira Dammu, Bellwether
Source: Bellwether. 2025.
Availability: Bellwether. 650 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20001. Tel: 877-636-0909; Web site: https://bellwether.org/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Walton Family Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Preschool Education
Elementary Education
Kindergarten
Primary Education
Descriptors: Educational Equity (Finance), Educational Finance, Preschool Education, Educational Quality, Child Care, English Learners, Students with Disabilities, Disadvantaged, Educational Benefits, Kindergarten, State Aid, State Policy, Academic Achievement, Economic Development, Preschool Teachers, Federal Programs, Social Services, Low Income Students, Grants, Tax Credits, Educational Legislation, Federal Legislation, Equal Education, Funding Formulas
Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: Head Start, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Abstract: Access to high-quality early care and education (ECE) supports healthy child development, accelerates academic achievement, reduces educational inequality, and catalyzes economic growth. The benefits of ECE are even greater among economically disadvantaged children, children with disabilities, and multilingual learners. However, despite these well-established benefits, public investment in ECE remains far below the level young children, families, and ECE providers need. One area of particular interest for many states is public funding for pre-K programs, where K-12 and ECE intersect. Direct state investment in pre-K has more than doubled in the past 20 years, from about $5 billion in 2003 to more than $11.7 billion in 2023.4 But there is plenty of room for publicly funded pre-K to grow: While 65% of five-year-olds attended public kindergarten in 2022, just 27% of all three- and four-year-olds attended public pre-K programs in 2022. This brief examines state funding mechanisms for pre-K programs and provides an overview of the approaches and considerations that states can take to fund and expand access to high-quality pre-K. It serves as an introduction for advocates and state policymakers with an interest in supporting ECE via state funding policy.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED674213
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation<br />Walton Family Foundation
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  Data: Access to high-quality early care and education (ECE) supports healthy child development, accelerates academic achievement, reduces educational inequality, and catalyzes economic growth. The benefits of ECE are even greater among economically disadvantaged children, children with disabilities, and multilingual learners. However, despite these well-established benefits, public investment in ECE remains far below the level young children, families, and ECE providers need. One area of particular interest for many states is public funding for pre-K programs, where K-12 and ECE intersect. Direct state investment in pre-K has more than doubled in the past 20 years, from about $5 billion in 2003 to more than $11.7 billion in 2023.4 But there is plenty of room for publicly funded pre-K to grow: While 65% of five-year-olds attended public kindergarten in 2022, just 27% of all three- and four-year-olds attended public pre-K programs in 2022. This brief examines state funding mechanisms for pre-K programs and provides an overview of the approaches and considerations that states can take to fund and expand access to high-quality pre-K. It serves as an introduction for advocates and state policymakers with an interest in supporting ECE via state funding policy.
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 14
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Equity (Finance)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Finance
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      – SubjectFull: English Learners
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      – SubjectFull: Students with Disabilities
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      – SubjectFull: Disadvantaged
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Benefits
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      – SubjectFull: Kindergarten
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      – SubjectFull: State Aid
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      – SubjectFull: State Policy
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      – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement
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      – SubjectFull: Economic Development
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      – TitleFull: How Do States Fund Pre-K? Splitting the Bill: A Bellwether Series on Education Finance Equity. #20
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