Gov. Phil Murphy promises $51.9 million of federal money for New Jersey preschools.

The Murphy Administration said the money is going to 23 school districts to support 30 projects that will enable the creation, expansion and renovation of preschool facilities statewide. This is money that goes back to the American Rescue Plan that was passed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Murphy made the announcement Thursday while appearing at the teachers' union convention. In a statement, Murphy said the funding will enable more districts to expand their capacity to offer full-day preschool programming to more students.

“Equitable access to early childhood education across the board is key to ensuring the long-term success of our children and our state as a whole. My administration will continue to work toward bringing free, full-day pre-K to every district throughout New Jersey,” Murphy said in statement.

The Murphy Administration says high-quality, full-day preschool programs provide smaller class sizes inclusive of students with special needs and are led by a certified teacher and aide.

The 30 projects that have qualified for these preliminary grants had a total need of nearly $113.5 million in estimated project costs. Of that amount, the administration says the New Jersey Department of Education will cover approximately $51.9 million as the state’s share of preschool facilities in those districts; the state share is set at a minimum of 40% of the total estimated project costs.

Preliminary award amounts, including both the state and local share for each project, range from $113,000 to over $13 million, the administration says.

A second round of funding is expected to be announced at a later date with the remaining funding for preschool facility grants.