Universal Prekindergarten and Early Childhood Education Act of 2024

From amounts appropriated under section 3, the Secretary of Education is authorized to award grants, on a competitive basis, to States to pay the Federal share of establishing or expanding full-day prekindergarten programs.

To receive a grant under this Act, a State shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

A State that receives a grant under this Act shall use such grant funds to establish or expand a prekindergarten program that, at a minimum—

(1) is located at a public school in the State;

(2) permits each 3- or 4-year-old child in the State to be voluntarily enrolled by the child’s parent, regardless of income, in the program at a school in which the child may be enrolled for kindergarten;

(3) is a full-day program that runs the length of the regular school year;

(4) is taught by teachers who possess equivalent or similar qualifications to the qualifications of teachers of other grades in the school involved; and

(5) meets any other criteria that the Secretary may require.

The Federal share of a grant under this Act shall be not more than 80 percent of the costs of carrying out the activities described in subsection (c).

Grant funds received under this Act shall be used to supplement and not supplant other Federal early childhood education funds in the State.

The term full-day used with respect to a program, means a program with a minimum of a 6-hour schedule per day.

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.

The term State has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

The term parent has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

The term public school has the meaning given the term elementary school or secondary school in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), except that the term does not include private schools.