Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday $20 million in state aid that will fund pre-K in 28 new school districts beginning Oct. 1.

The 28 school districts are located across New Jersey, including in Hudson, Atlantic and Ocean counties. This comes after the governor announced funding to bring high-quality preschool programs to 64 school districts last school year.

"Every single dollar we invest in pre-K helps make New Jersey a more affordable place for our diverse middle class and working families, like those right here in Union City, to raise their families," Gov. Murphy said.

More than 1,400 children in New Jersey will benefit from the latest expansion. Senate Education Chair Teresa Ruiz, who had just dropped her daughter off for her first day of preschool, says she's thankful to the governor for acknowledging that making investments in early childhood creates academic success.

"It is critical for us to understand that it's not an expenditure, and I am grateful for this administration for recognizing that it's truly an investment," Ruiz said.