A decades-long push to create capacity for universal access to preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds was stunted by the pandemic, but the impact may have been much worse without federal rescue funds, according to speakers on a virtual press call Monday.
State spending declined by an inflation-adjusted 3% in 2020-21 compared to the prior year. Yet when $440 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds is factored in, spending actually increased by $186 million. If all sources of spending — local, state and federal — are considered, state-funded preschool programs saw a 2.7% inflation-adjusted increase compared to 2019-20.
