EARLY Act

Expanded Access to Real Learning for our Young Act or the EARLY Act

This bill authorizes the Department of Education to award competitive grants to states to carry out full-day prekindergarten programs.

The programs must:

• be located at public schools, if practicable, or otherwise carried out by private or other community providers;
• permit parents, regardless of income, to voluntary enroll their four-year old children in the programs and do so at no cost if their combined income does not exceed 400% of the poverty line;
• be full-day programs that run the length of the regular school year;
• maintain a maximum class size of 20 children, with at least 1 prekindergarten teacher per classroom;
• ensure that the ratio of children to prekindergarten teachers and teacher aides does not exceed 10 to 1;
• be taught by teachers who are paid a salary comparable to kindergarten through grade 12 teachers at the state's public schools; and
• meet a minimum level of parental engagement set by the state.

Grant priority shall be given to states that carry out the programs at public schools.

The federal share of a grant may not exceed 75% of the prekindergarten program's costs.