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Dive Brief:
- Universal pre-K can slow K-12 enrollment declines in public schools and build stability in the early grades, according to a paper released late last month by the Urban Institute, a nonprofit research organization.
- The District of Columbia, for example, offers universal pre-K starting with 3-year-olds. The Urban Institute’s analysis found that 3-year-old pre-K participants were 35 percentage points more likely to stay in D.C.’s public schools through kindergarten, and they were 18 percentage points more likely to remain at the same school from pre-K at age 4 to kindergarten compared to peers who didn’t attend preschool.
- As school districts across the country face enrollment declines due to decreasing birthrates and private school competition for students, boosting access to pre-K can be one strategy to build families’ confidence in public school systems, the paper said.
Dive Insight:
The Urban Institute’s research points out that although expanding pre-K options alone would not be enough to reverse K-12 public school enrollment declines, early childhood programming can be leveraged to sustain K-12 enrollment. That stability allows districts and schools to better plan for staffing and programs, because funding is based on per-student counts.
On the other hand, declining enrollment can strain resources and force school systems to make controversial decisions like school closures or layoffs in order to balance their budgets.
The organization recommends districts and states:
- Expand universal pre-K access to 3-year-olds or launch programming for 4-year-olds.
- Offer pre-K programs at public schools.
- Invest in pre-K programs that operate on a school-year schedule and meet the needs of children and families.
“For states and cities looking to rebuild public school enrollment, evidence shows starting early can make a big difference,” the report said.
The Urban Institute’s research shows that the rate of K-12 enrollment in D.C. Public Schools has outperformed the U.S. average since 2010, the year D.C.’s first universal pre-K participants entered kindergarten. During the pandemic, the city’s public schools also experienced higher enrollment stability compared to the national average between 2019 and 2020, according to the organization’s analysis.
Additionally, stability in the early grades has academic and social-emotional benefits because students who remain in the same school system face fewer disruptions to instruction, their friend groups and support services, the paper said.
Other research points to similar K-12 enrollment and academic benefits in other cities with publicly-funded pre-K programs, such as Boston and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
As of the 2023-24 school year, D.C. and four states — Colorado, Florida, Oklahoma and Vermont — offered universal pre-K to all 4-year-olds, according to 2025 research from the Education Commission of States. Another eight states have universal eligibility programs open to all students regardless of family income or other characteristics but may have limited seats or geographic restrictions.
Enrollment in state-funded pre-K has been increasing in recent years. About 37% of 4-year-olds and 8% of 3-year-olds participated in state-funded pre-K in 2024. Overall, pre-K participation jumped 7% in 2023-24 compared to the year before, according to the 2024 State of Preschool Yearbook by the National Institute for Early Education Research.
Separate research released earlier this year by NIEER, in partnership with CityHealth, found that while pre-K participation has short- and long-term benefits for children, access to high-quality programs is unequal. CityHealth is an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente that works on policy solutions.
