Massachusetts to invest $2 million toward state’s preschool programs

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — Massachusetts is committing nearly $2 million to create and sustain preschool programs across the Bay State.

The plan includes thousands of dollars for areas like New Bedford and Taunton.

The Healey administration announced $1.7 million in funding to expand universal pre-K access across Massachusetts as part of the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative.

“Essentially, it’s seats. And the whole initiative here is seats, money should go right into the classrooms,” New Bedford Superintendent Andrew O’Leary said.

In New Bedford, that means $300,000 to make sure sure pre-K is an option.

“Money should go right to students, money should be increasing the number of seats available to families and students,” O’Leary said.

For six districts, the funding should add 10 classrooms and 259 seats.

Supporters of the plan said that it is needed due to rising costs and limited access.

“It’s not a newer problem,” Regional Director with Little People’s College Jen DeMello said.

O’Leary said there is a lot of work to maintain these programs moving forward as well.

“When districts are connecting with local preschool providers, when districts are providing more seats, we need to keep those every year,” he said. “So three-year-olds in preschool can become four-year-olds in preschool, they can become kindergarten students. And there’s this kind of unbroken sequence. We’ve seen students benefit from that enormously.”

$50,000 will also go to the Chicopee and Taunton school districts to support the planning and early implementation of programs moving forward.

The Healey administration had already committed around $16 million towards childcare in 2024, with another $15 million expected for 2025.