BUDGET

Pre-K for PA commends the Shapiro Administration and General Assembly for taking meaningful action to address the historic teacher staffing shortage in the Pre-K Counts program. The 2025-26 state budget provides $9.5 million in new state funding to help stabilize early learning providers by increasing per child rates– an important measure to counter rising costs and staffing challenges driven by low wages.

In recent years, opportunities for higher salaries in K–12 education and other sectors have made it increasingly difficult for Pre-K Counts providers to retain qualified teachers, forcing some programs to reduce enrollment or close classrooms. This new investment represents a critical step forward in ensuring that state-funded pre-kindergarten programs remain strong, sustainable, and accessible for Pennsylvania’s youngest learners.

However, we are disappointed that the final budget fails to offer support for the commonwealth’s Head Start Supplemental programs that are facing similar staffing challenges. While the passage of a state budget will send delayed payments to Pennsylvania’s Head Start programs, we should be investing additional dollars to expand this lifeline for children and families.

Mitigating teacher shortages in Pennsylvania’s publicly funded pre-k programs is a necessary first step in ensuring that all children have access to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Currently, 78,000 three- and four-year-olds in the commonwealth are eligible but do not have access to high-quality pre-k programs.