Maryland lags behind 17 other states enrolling kids in public prekindergarten programs, despite spending thousands more per child than it used to.

The difference is especially stark between Maryland and its neighbor, Washington, D.C., which leads the nation in pre-K access for 3- and 4-year-olds.

That’s according to the 2024 State of Preschool Yearbook, a report released Tuesday by the National Institute for Early Education Research out of Rutgers University’s graduate school of education in New Jersey.

The report, the 22nd of its kind, noted several records for pre-K across the nation last school year. Enrollment hit a record high of 1.75 million children, up 7% from the prior year. And collectively, states spent more than $13.6 billion on pre-K, a 17% increase when adjusted for inflation. But the report also notes that progress since the pandemic “has been highly uneven from state to state.”

Here’s how Maryland stacks up.

38%

The percentage of 4-year-olds Maryland enrolled in state-funded pre-K last school year, according to the report. That lands Maryland at 18th, one spot down from last year, out of 44 states and D.C. with what the institute considers a state-funded pre-K program. Those must be paid for, controlled and directed by the state with a focus on early childhood education, among other requirements. In Maryland, the count includes both public and private programs that receive at least some government funding.

Maryland enrolls 7% of its 3-year-olds, landing it at 20th in those rankings, also one spot below last year.

Nationwide, 37% of 4-year-olds and 8% of 3-year-olds are enrolled in state-supported pre-K. Eleven states and D.C. serve at least half their 4-year-olds in those programs.

But D.C. beats those numbers — by a lot. The district has 95% of its 4-year-olds and 82% of its 3-year-olds in public pre-K. Overall, 88% of D.C.’s preschool-age kids are enrolled, beating the next-highest state, Vermont, by 21 percentage points, and Maryland by 65.

6

The number of states that boosted their preschool spending by more than $100 million apiece, Maryland included. The other states are California, Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico and Texas.

According to the report, Maryland spending totaled $358 million and an additional $3.8 million in federal pandemic recovery funds, an inflation-adjusted increase of 62% from the prior year.

The report notes that “federal COVID-19 recovery funding played a crucial role in sustaining and advancing preschool.”

32,972

The number of kids enrolled last year in Maryland’s pre-K program, according to the report. That’s an increase of 1,065 kids from the prior year. Comparatively, D.C. enrolled 13,219 kids in its pre-K program.

Maryland’s goal is to eventually get all 4-year-olds and all low-income 3-year-olds into state-supported pre-K programs, though some families will have to pick up some or all of the cost.

$10,977

How much Maryland spent per preschooler, including federal recovery funds. That’s up $3,979 from the previous year. By comparison, D.C. spent more than double — $23,785 per child. Delaware spent a few hundred more than Maryland at $11,753 per child, but Virginia only spent $6,119.

Maryland is one of five states — alongside Arizona, Delaware, New Mexico and Oregon — that increased their spending per child by more than $2,500.

That spending is tied to goals in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the state’s long-term plan to invest in public education.

8

The number of pre-K quality benchmarks, out of 10, that Maryland meets, according to the report. Those benchmarks include things like making sure that teachers are getting at least 15 hours of training a year or ensuring that early learning standards are comprehensive and culturally sensitive.

To meet all 10 benchmarks, which only five states do, Maryland would need to require assistant teachers to get a child development degree or something similar, rather than just a high school diploma, and would need to mandate hands-on coaching for teachers in the classroom.

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.