Maryland Ranks Low in Pre-K Enrollment Despite Increased Spending

BALTIMORE, Maryland — Maryland is falling behind in enrolling children in public prekindergarten programs, ranking 18th among 44 states and Washington, D.C. in enrollment for 4-year-olds, according to the 2024 State of Preschool Yearbook, released on Tuesday.

The report from Rutgers University showed that Maryland enrolled only 7% of its 3-year-olds in state-supported pre-K, placing it 20th nationally. This lag persists despite the state spending more per child than it did in previous years.

The enrollment in public pre-K programs is starkly contrasted with neighboring Washington, D.C., which leads the nation with 95% of its 4-year-olds and 82% of its 3-year-olds in such programs. Maryland’s pre-K enrollment for 4-year-olds has decreased from last year, despite a national enrollment jump to a record high of 1.75 million children, a 7% increase from the previous year.

“Maryland is making significant investments, but we have a long way to go to compete with D.C.,” said Maya Lora, an early childhood education reporter covering the issue. D.C. stands out with 88% of its preschool-age kids enrolled, surpassing Maryland by 65 percentage points.

Maryland spent $358 million on pre-K education last year, along with $3.8 million in federal pandemic recovery funds. This represents a substantial 62% increase from the prior year, yet the state still falls short in meeting educational benchmarks. Currently, Maryland meets six out of ten quality benchmarks for pre-K programs.

Among the five states referred to in the report that increased their per-child spending by over $2,500 is Maryland, but its spending still lags behind that of D.C., which spent over $23,000 per child compared to Maryland’s $11,753.

Despite these challenges, Maryland is committed to ensuring that all 4-year-olds and low-income 3-year-olds have access to state-supported pre-K programs in the future. The push for universal enrollment comes amidst ongoing efforts to strengthen early childhood education in the state.