Maryland has a vision: Massively expand pre-kindergarten for the state’s 3- and 4-year-olds by adding seats in public and private preschool classrooms in an even split.

Some of that is happening. Between the 2022 and 2023 school years, the state added 1,109 pre-K seats.

But just 446, or 40%, of those seats came from the private sector, which has been slow to join the Maryland State Department of Education’s program. According to data presented at Tuesday’s State Board of Education meeting, Maryland’s plan to put public and private providers on equal footing is falling far short of its original goals. Some districts don’t have any private preschools in the program at all.

The plan is known as the mixed delivery system, which the education department says gives families flexibility to pick the pre-K program that best meets their needs. It’s proven to be one of the more difficult parts of the state’s education overhaul legislation, called the Blueprint for Maryland’s future, and private providers have resisted getting involved.

Still, “Maryland is actually moving at a fast pace” compared to other states, said Shayna Cook, assistant state superintendent in the Division of Early Childhood.

Here’s where Maryland pre-K stands, by the numbers.

1,601

The number of spots in private pre-K programs statewide last school year. Those providers include center- and family-based child care programs, Head Start, Montessori schools and faith-based providers.

In total, the state had 32,982 pre-K seats last year, meaning private preschools made up less than 5%.

State Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright said it’s important to remember that it can be difficult to get private preschools off the ground, especially in rural areas.

10%

The portion of pre-K slots in each county that should come from private providers starting this school year.

Before the state legislature scaled back expectations, counties were supposed to have private providers for at least 30% of their slots by the 2022 school year. No county met that benchmark that year or the following year.

“I think the districts are trying very hard to get there. I think that it was good that it was recognized that the goal is pretty high,” Wright said. “I think we have to be realistic with the expectations that we’re setting.”

Wright added that while it’s going to be difficult to get even to that 10% and beyond, the state is “willing to do that.”

The proportion of private pre-K slots is supposed to increase by 10% every school year, hitting at least the coveted 50-50 split by 2028, a level the districts must then maintain.

207

In 2023, the number of private pre-K seats in Howard County, the only of the four districts in the Baltimore region to cross the 10% private threshold.

Between 2022 and 2023, Howard County saw a 4% growth in its private provider seats, according to the state education department. Comparatively, Baltimore, Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County saw an average of 64% growth.

In that same time period, each county — mirroring the statewide trend — added more seats from public providers than private ones, except Baltimore County, which appeared to lose public seats. That’s likely due to the transition from half to full-day pre-K, according to the state department of education.

5

The number of school systems that had no private preschools in their programs in 2023, down from 9 in 2022.

Those are Garrett, Kent, Saint Mary’s, Somerset and Talbot Counties, which are all on the smaller side.

29%

The portion of 3- and 4-year-olds in Baltimore City enrolled in pre-K last school year, the highest in the Baltimore area. In the city, all 4-year-olds are eligible for free, full day pre-K in public schools.

That calculation is based on an estimate of 3- and 4-year-olds gathered from a few years of census data. Anne Arundel County, which has just over 1,000 more pre-K age children than Baltimore City, has just 17% enrolled, the lowest in the Baltimore area and one of the lowest in the state.

There are an estimated 152,669 3- and 4-year-olds in Maryland, compared to under 33,000 pre-K spots. Joshua Michael, president of the State Board of Education, said that’s where the board’s attention is concentrated.

“Our focus is on ensuring that we’re serving more and more students and working with our providers to serve as many students as possible,” Michael said.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.