Senate committee advances substitute to expand preschool and mandate full‑day kindergarten, providers urge mixed‑delivery protections

Senate Majority Leader Ruiz introduced the committee substitute to S‑3910, telling the Senate Education Committee that the proposal would create a framework to expand universal preschool seats incrementally as budget permits and to codify state preschool programs. "This is not gonna happen overnight," Ruiz said, and she thanked the Department of Education, private providers and Head Start partners who helped draft the substitute.

Representatives from large private providers and provider associations testified in support of the bill’s goals but urged changes to protect community‑based providers. Nasby Choudhary, state government relations representative for KinderCare, said the substitute’s steering committee and a proposed mixed‑delivery handbook could help partnerships but warned that removing language that would require districts to participate in mixed delivery undermines equitable access. "Without these incentives or language requiring districts to participate in the mixed delivery model, the state will struggle to reach its implementation goals," Choudhary said.

Jenna Borkoski of Learning Care Group said the substitute strikes language that previously mandated mixed delivery and expressed concern that a pilot cost‑sharing model for new districts could delay expansion in lower‑resource areas. She urged sponsors to restore mandatory mixed delivery or, at minimum, give priority to districts that partner with community‑based providers.

Several education groups—including the Garden State Coalition of Schools, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, NJAEYC and others—said they support the bill’s aims but recommended clarifications. The principals’ association welcomed a pilot program and the proposed tax‑levy cap exemption for districts receiving preschool expansion aid, but asked whether the cap relief applies for one year or across the pilot’s three years. "That budget flexibility is critical as districts begin their start up of new programs," Debbie Bradley said.

Provider groups, including the Early Care and Education Consortium and the New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children, pressed the committee to reinstate language that would require mixed delivery where a "ready, willing and able" community provider exists. Elsa Jacobson of ECEC said that a due‑diligence requirement has been in effect for years yet only about 42% of participating districts partner with community providers, and she argued that stronger language is needed to avoid destabilizing childcare supply.

Committee members asked about parent choice, hours of instruction, and protections for small private providers. Witnesses said parent flexibility would remain and that multiyear contracting could help providers invest in new programs; the majority leader said she would file a bill addressing multiyear contracts. After discussion the committee voted to release the substitute for S‑3910 to the budget committee.

The committee recorded opposing votes from Senators Henry and Corrado, and recorded yes votes from Senators McKnight, Turner and Chair Gopal; the bill was released for further consideration.

The committee hearing record shows repeated requests from provider groups for stronger protections for community providers and additional funding clarity ahead of implementation; sponsors and staff pledged continued negotiations before budget and floor consideration.