Speakers Urge Mixed‑Delivery, Facility Funding and Inclusion in Preschool Expansion Plans

Advocates and school leaders told the Joint Committee on Education that expanding public preschool requires facility funding, mixed‑delivery planning and explicit attention to special‑education alignment.

Lisa Van Till, testifying on behalf of Lowell, said space constraints are “a major factor” in the city’s ability to expand preschool and that the district is conducting a space audit and hopes to pilot expansion in fiscal 2027. She told the committee that local data show a sizable waiting list for vouchers and that districts need funding to make school facilities suitable for additional preschool seats.

Elsa Jacobson, director of state government relations for the Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC), urged the committee to adopt a mixed‑delivery model in statewide pre‑K expansion bills such as H687/S339 and related proposals. “If public preschools were offered solely through the public schools and community‑based providers lose 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds to this program, they may struggle to keep classrooms open,” Jacobson said, arguing that community providers rely on preschool tuition to subsidize infant and toddler care and that a mixed model preserves the broader early‑care system.

Several witnesses highlighted the need for parity in teacher qualifications, salaries and benefits across public and community settings, and for stronger alignment between the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) on staff‑to‑child ratios and services for children with individualized education programs (IEPs). Jenny Dudley, a special‑education consultant, urged the committee to consider regional models so smaller districts could pool resources to offer inclusive pre‑K that serves children with disabilities and reduces inequities driven by ZIP‑code funding.

The Early Care and Education Consortium also supported H523, a commission bill to study models for delivering universal pre‑K, saying a commission should evaluate Head Start, public school, EEC‑licensed and private providers. Committee members asked witnesses to submit written testimony with more budget details; several speakers said they had already filed written testimony. No committee votes on the preschool bills were recorded at the hearing.