Next fall, North Arlington will provide free full-day preschool for economically disadvantaged three- and four-year-old children, according to the school district. The district currently offers half-day pre-Kindergarten classes, but will expand the program to six hours per day for 37 students in three classes next year with the help of state funding.
The district expects the funding will be calculated at a level of $11,000 per student, which could mean a $407,000 state grant for the program, according to Superintendent Oliver Stringham.
The expansion of the program is due to a law signed by Governor Jon Corzine in January. The law not only changed the school funding formula, but expanded pre-Kindergarten classes to non-"Abbott" districts. Preschool-aged children in the Abbott districts, so-called because of a court case allowing school districts in economically disadvantaged municipalities to receive more state funding, will eventually be joined by preschoolers in all districts who qualify for federal free and reduced price lunch.
The theme of the legislation is to identify resources for vulnerable children. In particular, this means funding preschool for school districts with certain amounts of economically disadvantaged students. "A formal high-quality preschool experience for students in economically disadvantaged areas pays off in later success in life, in school and after school," said Rich Vespucci, a spokesman for the Department of Education.
Research following students who attended preschool shows that when these children grow up, they are not only better off from a socioeconomic standpoint, but they report being happier people, according to Vespucci.