The State of Preschool 2022 annual report

 The State of Preschool 2022 annual report covers the 2021-2022 school year and is NIEER’s 20th report tracking preschool enrollment, funding, and policies state-by-state. This report focuses on the recovery since the 2020-2021 school year, where we are compared to before the pandemic, where we’ve come over the last two decades, and what needs to come next.

THE STATE OF PRESCHOOL: 2022 FAST FACTS

• Forty-four states, Washington, D.C., and Guam provide publicly-funded preschool to almost 1.53 million children.

• Nine states served more than half of 4-year-olds; Only DC served more than half of 3-year-olds.

 

• Enrollment increased by 13% and increased in nearly every state. However, enrollment was still 8% below pre-pandemic levels.

• States spent $9.9 billion on pre-K in 2021-2022, including $393 million in federal Covid-19 relief funds.

 

• Spending per child has not changed in 20 years and is too low to support quality full-day preschool

• Five states met all 10 quality standards benchmarks; Nine states met fewer than half.

• Six states still fund no pre-K program at all