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5/28/2026
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Senate approves Gallo bills for universal pre-K
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STATE HOUSE – The Senate today approved two bills sponsored by Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Hanna M. Gallo to set Rhode Island on a path to offering universal free prekindergarten to 3- and 4-year-olds. The bills now head to the House.
The first bill (2026-S 3147) calls for a state-managed publicly funded prekindergarten program to be sustained and expanded in a mixed-delivery system that includes Head Start programs, school districts, licensed center-based, licensed family child-care providers and family child-care networks. The bill calls for the system to be expanded as funds are available, with a goal of reaching enrollment of at least 70% of 3- and 4-year-olds in the state.
“Research has shown how incredibly beneficial pre-K is for children, improving everything from test scores and behavior to college enrollment later on. Children who enter kindergarten with experience in school are prepared, and that head start helps them succeed not only that year, but throughout their education and when they enter the workforce,” said Senator Gallo (D-Dist. 27, Cranston, West Warwick). “Access to such a life-changing resource should never depend on where a child lives or whether a family can afford it.”
The bill requires the state to allocate sufficient funding for competitive wages that retain highly qualified educators, and requires research-based quality standards that include teacher education and certification, class size and staff ratios, learning time, developmentally appropriate, evidence-based learning standards, curriculum that prioritizes developmentally appropriate, play-based learning, and access and support for students with special needs and English language learners.
The second bill (2026-S 3077) updates the Early Childhood Categorical Fund in the school funding formula law to clarify that funds can be used to support both the state-run pre-K program and Head Start. The legislation establishes predictable, permanent funding streams for both state-managed pre-K and Head Start, and encourages collaboration between the Department of Education, the Department of Human Services’ Child Care Office, and Head Start to maximize resources and minimize duplication of efforts.
Both bills have the support of numerous organizations and agencies that promote early childhood well-being, including KidsCount RI and the RIght from the Start Campaign, Children’s Friend and the Economic Progress Institute.
The bills now goes to the House of Representatives, where House Education Committee Chairman Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston) is sponsoring companion legislation (2026-H 8163) to the first bill, and House Health Education and Welfare Committee Chairwoman Susan R. Donovan is sponsoring companion legislation (2026-H 7680) to the second.
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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