Although statewide implementation of universal pre-kindergarten is stalled, Durham, Forsyth, and Mecklenburg counties stand out as leaders in expanding pre-kindergarten access in North Carolina. These three counties have made strides in increasing the opportunities that families have to enroll their children in early education programs, and the trajectory of their efforts provide valuable insights for those advocating for state-wide universal access.

NC Pre-K, North Carolina’s free publicly funded pre-kindergarten program, is provided through public schools, Head Start programs, and both nonprofit and private child care centers. The two other government-funded pre-kindergarten programs for 4-year-olds are federally funded Head Start and special education programs. A total of 27% of NC’s 4-year-olds are enrolled in one of these pre-kindergarten programs: 20% in NC Pre-K, 5% in Head Start, and 3% in special education. There aren’t accurate estimates regarding how many of the remaining 73% of the state’s 4-year-olds are in private pre-kindergarten programs.

When we focus on NC Pre-K’s target group, enrollment numbers show that 51% of income-eligible children across the state, those in low-income families, are enrolled in NC-PreK. This means that almost half of children who are at higher risk for not being ready for school aren’t enrolled in this program, which has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the likelihood that a child will be placed in special education. A special education decrease of 29% in 3rd grade and a decrease of 48% in 5th grade. This is a meaningful return on investment because special education costs nearly twice as much as regular classroom education.

There are also longer-term benefits to the individual and society because investing in early childhood education reduces crime. When we enhance an individual’s legal earnings prospects, we reduce the probability that they will become involved in criminal activity. The fiscal benefits add up to huge returns over a child’s lifelime: lower government special education costs, greater tax revenues from increased earnings as children grow up, and less government spending on welfare and incarceration.

To be eligible for NC Pre-K, a child must be 4 years old by August 31 of the year they enter and must come from a family whose income is equal to or less than 75% of the state median. In each county, up to 20% of children can come from a household with incomes above that level if the child falls in one of the following high-risk categories: developmental delay, identified disability, chronic health condition, or limited English proficiency.

Expanding NC PreK is not just about increasing the number of slots. It’s also about ensuring that they are high-quality slots. Research informs us that low-quality pre-kindergarten can harm development. Quality costs, but the return on investment is high. The level of public investment has declined when accounting for the increased number of children enrolled: 2023 pre-k spending was $8,504 per child, down from $10,764 per child in 2021. Such sharp declines in the per-child investment can impact quality.

Income diversity is another reason for creating universal preschool programs, enabling lower- and higher-income children to learn together. Researchers show that low-income preschoolers who attended preschool classes with children from higher-income families perform better than low-income preschoolers who attended programs that only enrolled low-income children. They speculate that in income-diverse preschools, low-income children gain “classroom access to their higher-income peers and the political capital of their peers’ parents.” Fostering relationships across socioeconomic status categories is a welcomed societal benefit in an increasingly income-segregated country.