Office Of The Governor Governor Murphy Announces Suite Of New

Leo Migdal

-Dec 3, 2025, 5:23 AM

office of the governor governor murphy announces suite of new

Murphy Administration Has Expanded State-Funded Preschool Programs to an Additional 229 School Districts Over the Past Seven Years Administration Releases Phase II of the Strategic Plan for Preschool Expansion TRENTON – During his 2025 State of the State Address, Governor Phil Murphy announced his support for two policy initiatives that will ensure more families than ever can enjoy the benefits of expanded access... Today – joined by Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, Assemblywoman Andrea Katz, and Assemblyman Sterley Stanley – the Governor visited Maurice Hawk Elementary School in West Windsor to underscore his continued commitment to furthering access to free, high-quality preschool and kindergarten... Senator Shirley Turner and Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli also joined the announcement.“One week ago, during my State of the State Address, I announced that our Administration will be taking a new step to ensure that...

Paired with a second initiative to codify preschool funding, we are paving the way for both universal pre-k and free full-day kindergarten in our state,” said Governor Murphy. “By working with our partners in the State Legislature, including Majority Leader Ruiz and Assembly Members Katz and Stanley, we are going to strengthen early childhood education, alleviate the burden of child care costs... We owe it to the children and families that call New Jersey ‘home’ to continue building a public education system that lifts up every single one of our state’s children – no matter their... “These legislative initiatives will provide every child access to full-day kindergarten and detail the continued expansion of preschool to all of our communities – this underscores our commitment to ensuring every student has the... Together, we are paving the way for a brighter future for all New Jersey children.”Since the beginning of his Administration, Governor Murphy has made it a priority to set New Jersey firmly on course... Over the past seven years, funding for public preschool has increased by over $550 million, with New Jersey currently spending $1.2 billion to stand up and sustain programs in communities across the state.

Since year one of the Administration, 229 additional districts have been added to State-funded preschool programs; meaning now, 293 or about half of New Jersey’s elementary-serving school districts offer free, high-quality preschool, whether that... Teresa Ruiz, Assemblywoman Andrea Katz, and Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, on legislation to advance the following initiatives: “Ensuring every child in New Jersey has access to free full-day kindergarten is a critical step in supporting families, strengthening our state’s future, and building on our mission to make New Jersey more affordable,”... “New Jersey's status as a national leader in public education is reinforced by our commitment to providing free kindergarten, giving every child a strong foundation for lifelong learning. By removing financial barriers, we’re also easing the burden on parents, helping them keep more money in their pockets.”“Investing in early education is one of the most powerful ways to transform our communities. It offers dual benefits — providing students with a strong educational foundation while easing the financial burden of childcare for parents,” said Senate Majority Leader M.

Teresa Ruiz. “It’s long past time for full-day kindergarten to be the standard in every New Jersey school, a crucial step toward building a unified early childhood ecosystem and achieving universal pre-K.”“This is the issue that... I wanted to ensure that every kid in New Jersey had access to a great public education. I’m proud to work towards permanent pre-k funding because it just makes sense for New Jersey families and taxpayers,” said Assemblywoman Andrea Katz.“One of our most significant accomplishments, which I am proud to have... Which is why I am incredibly proud to join with my colleague Assemblywoman Katz in putting forth this bill that will ensure that every child is provided with early childhood education so we can... I look forward to seeing this bill passed and signed into law so that we can bear witness to the extraordinary individuals the children of our State will become with this law protecting their...

Turner. "Kindergarten offers more learning and socialization time, helps teachers identify challenges early, and relieves parents of the financial burden of paying for daycare, which is costing many families as much as their rent or... Expanding full-day kindergarten to the schools that still lack these programs is crucial to ensure no child starts their academic journey behind their peers.""When we look for ways to make New Jersey more affordable,... Verrelli. "Every child in the state should be able to benefit from New Jersey's nationally-recognized education system. Providing access to free early childhood education has the dual advantage of setting our children's educational path on a solid foundation and enabling parents to save significant money on childcare costs."These initiatives are informed...

This document includes feedback from an intensive stakeholder engagement process over 74 sessions across all counties, representing 36 organizations and an additional 485 staff from school districts and private providers across the state. In addition to the above four goals, the strategic plan’s recommendations include: better aligning childcare and public preschool facilities requirements; evaluating public-private partnership opportunities to provide dedicated facilities funding; and improving transportation options for... “The implementation of a full-day kindergarten program has provided our students with additional instructional time, purposeful playtime both structured and unstructured, the opportunities to participate in learning centers, additional special area classes such as... We are proud of our educators who have dedicated tremendous amounts of time in curriculum writing and professional development throughout this transition and championed the benefits of moving to a full-day Kindergarten model. As a district, we have much to be proud of, but the move to full-day K is one of the brightest accomplishments in recent years,” said West Windsor-Plainsboro School District Superintendent David Aderhold. “Governor Murphy, we thank you for your ongoing support of public education and appreciate your continued vision of supporting New Jersey's students and school districts.”“Governor Murphy's determination to bring full-day kindergarten to every district...

"Dollars invested today in education – especially early education – are repaid many times over in a stronger future economy. New Jersey must continue to be a national leader in all aspects of public education, from preschool through college, and getting a strong early foundation will help us achieve that."“We commend Governor Murphy for... We know that early education provides a vital foundation for children's academic, social, and emotional growth. A structured, immersive environment will give our youngest learners the time and tools to develop the skills they will need to be lifelong learners,” said Barbara Martinez, Executive Director of the NJ Children’s Foundation."AFT... As we know, full-day kindergarten has a positive impact on children's academic achievement, social-emotional development, and overall school readiness,” said Jennifer S. Higgins, President of AFT New Jersey."The earliest days of learning in a child's life prepare that child for decades of education and experiences to follow, and we applaud Governor Murphy for placing such a...

For the districts not yet fortunate enough to have such robust offerings for their littlest learners, the Governor's leadership on this will open doors that will create opportunities for these children for years to... Bingert, Executive Director, New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association."As a longtime advocate for public preschool and a leader in laying the foundation for New Jersey’s nationally-recognized preschool program, Advocates for Children of NJ commends... Expansion efforts should prioritize partnerships between school districts and community child care centers and align space requirements for partnering child care centers with industry standards to ensure families have the choice to access consistent,... Coogan, president & CEO of ACNJ. “SPAN applauds the Governor's proposal for the expansion of full-day kindergarten. This initiative significantly enhances opportunities for students across New Jersey to benefit from the academic advantages of full-day programs, particularly in math and reading.

We also commend the Governor's continued commitment to early childhood education, which has laid a strong foundation for future success. Expanding access to high-quality universal pre-K represents a critical next step in this progression,” said Peg Kinsell, Policy Director, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network. “Research consistently shows that full-day pre-K improves attendance and boosts school readiness, setting children on a path toward long-term academic achievement. A recent study further underscores that full-day programs closely aligned with nearby elementary schools yield the greatest success in achieving long-term educational goals. These findings highlight the transformative potential of the Governor's vision for early childhood education. This is a pivotal moment for New Jersey’s students and their families, promising enriched learning opportunities and a brighter future for all.”

“NJASA fully supports the Governor's focus on expanding early childhood education, recognizing its long-term benefits. Research confirms that early intervention enhances student achievement and mitigates the need for costly remediation in later grades,” said Richard Bozza, Executive Director, NJASA. Governor Murphy Announces Suite of New Proposals to Expand Access to Early Childhood Education and Support Working Families Murphy Administration Has Expanded State-Funded Preschool Programs to an Additional 229 School Districts Over the Past Seven Years Administration Releases Phase II of the Strategic Plan for Preschool Expansion TRENTON – During his 2025 State of the State Address, Governor Phil Murphy announced his support for two policy initiatives that will ensure more families than ever can enjoy the benefits of expanded access...

Today – joined by Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, Assemblywoman Andrea Katz, and Assemblyman Sterley Stanley – the Governor visited Maurice Hawk Elementary School in West Windsor to underscore his continued commitment to furthering access to free, high-quality preschool and kindergarten... Senator Shirley Turner and Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli also joined the announcement. “One week ago, during my State of the State Address, I announced that our Administration will be taking a new step to ensure that every school district in New Jersey offers free, full-day kindergarten. Paired with a second initiative to codify preschool funding, we are paving the way for both universal pre-k and free full-day kindergarten in our state,” said Governor Murphy. “By working with our partners in the State Legislature, including Majority Leader Ruiz and Assembly Members Katz and Stanley, we are going to strengthen early childhood education, alleviate the burden of child care costs...

We owe it to the children and families that call New Jersey ‘home’ to continue building a public education system that lifts up every single one of our state’s children – no matter their... In State of the State address governor presents raft of new proposals, ignores prospect of lame-duck politics John Reitmeyer, Budget/Finance Writer | January 15, 2025 | Politics Promising to “run through the tape” in his final full year in office, Gov. Phil Murphy unveiled an ambitious agenda that includes a raft of new proposals, covering everything from affordable housing and public education to reproductive care and parole reform. The second-term Democrat put forward these and other policy goals for the next 12 months during Tuesday’s annual State of the State address before a joint session of the state Legislature in Trenton.

Murphy also used the ceremonial speech to tick off a number of accomplishments chalked up by his administration since the former Wall Street executive took office in early 2018 on the heels of Republican... Calls on New Jersey’s Electric Utilities to Partner on Cost Mitigation Plans TRENTON – Today Governor Phil Murphy announced an affordability effort to manage anticipated utility price increases ahead of a rate hike set to take effect on June 1, 2025. “New Jersey ratepayers are preparing for an unprecedented increase in utility costs,” said Governor Murphy. “While the utilities are not responsible for the rate increases, they have a responsibility to protect ratepayers. It’s clear that New Jersey’s four hometown electric utilities need to deliver more reasonable options.

We ask that utilities share the load and commit to being part of the solution to the PJM cost crisis. These utilities have reaped billions in profits over the last ten years. My Administration will continue to identify and put all options on the table to mitigate rate increases.” New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) President Christine Guhl-Sadovy advised Governor Murphy on details of the... To manage the rate hikes that ratepayers are going to experience beginning June 1, 2025, the BPU required the four investor-owned electric utilities to file petitions providing proposals to mitigate overall bill impacts to... The customer cost mitigation plans were required to include rate deferment to lower usage months and other opportunities to provide rate stabilization and savings where possible.As part of the effort to manage rate hikes... Capacity market prices make their way to customers’ bills in part through the State’s annual Basic Generation Service (BGS) auctions.

The Board’s authority over the auctions is limited and does not extend to influence pricing. As a result of the 2024 PJM Base Residual Auction and the 2025 BGS auctions, the projected average monthly customer bill increases, beginning June 1, 2025, range from 17.23% to 20.20%, depending on the... The State has identified a variety of programmatic updates and efforts to lessen the immediate impact of the impending rate hikes. Last year, New Jersey’s energy assistance programs provided approximately $295 million in assistance to more than 455,000 families. Additionally, the Murphy Administration unveiled the Residential Energy Assistance Payment (REAP) initiative, which disbursed over $48.7 million via a one-time $175 bill credit for over 278,000 qualifying households. To build on the significant cost savings delivered by the REAP initiative, the Board approved a second Residential Energy Assistance Payment at the Agenda meeting on April 23, 2025.

Furthermore, on March 20, 2025, the Board released a Straw Proposal to expand the Universal Service Fund (USF) program, a bill credit program open to customers who are at or below 60% of the... For a family of four that’s approximately $92,000 a year. The USF Straw Proposal seeks to increase the amount of bill assistance and require the utilities to meet certain enrollment obligations to ensure available resources are reaching those who qualify. In addition to direct bill credits and expansion of USF, the Board also opened another Community Solar Energy Program (CSEP) allocation at the April Agenda Meeting. Community solar subscribers receive guaranteed savings for participating in the CSEP with discounts of 15% or more on community solar credits applied to their bills. CSEP currently serves more than 28,000 New Jersey subscribers, who have received more than $37 million in bill credits with net savings of more than $7 million since the start of the pilot program.

Opening an additional capacity block of 250 megawatts is key to helping put affordability within reach for more New Jersey ratepayers. The Board also recently opened the third Competitive Solar Solicitation for grid-scale solar, which last year resulted in over 300 megawatts of the cheapest solar ever incentivized, proving solar can be developed competitively and... For example, clean energy growth in New Jersey and throughout PJM has saved New Jersey ratepayers billions in avoided costs. Without the PJM-wide (onshore) wind and solar resources that bid into PJM's 2024 capacity auction, clearing prices would have been about 60% higher, which would have cost New Jersey ratepayers roughly an additional $1.1... To reduce costs and provide rate stabilization long-term, understanding the need for more generation, the NJBPU as directed by Governor Murphy released a Request for Information on nuclear generation and other advanced nuclear technologies... The State also has a significant portfolio of energy efficiency programs run by the utilities.

Office Of The Governor Governor Murphy Announces Suite Of New

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