Stephen Sweeney also provided some details on an upcoming school funding formula bill.
TRENTON -- Senate President Stephen Sweeney visited Trenton's Grant Elementary School on Tuesday to tout his plan to expand the state's pre-kindergarten system, one day ahead of children returning to classrooms.
Sweeney (D-Glocester), who is involved in a high-profile battle with Governor Christie over the state's current school funding formula, touted his plan to expand the state's pre-K system.
"We're trying to expand pre-K throughout the state," Sweeney said. "The goal is to get all school districts to provide pre-K."
"We didn't put a lot of money into (the budget) this year because we couldn't, but we added in an extra $25 million," he said.
"You make this enormous investment in education from K to 12 and the small investment upfront in pre-K will reduce your cost on the backend -- and that's why we really want to start ramping up and focusing more on directing funding to pre-K," Sweeney said.
"A human's brain develops 85 percent from birth to five years old," he said. "You're going to get children that are more prepared, better understanding, better ability to learn and not as challenged with languages and they're going to be successful."
"The child is going to be so much more well rounded," he said.
This year marks the first time in four years that ownership of the city's pre-K program will be returned to individual schools, says Grant Elementary School's principal Alfonso Llano.
"The district decided - about four years ago - to create an early childhood center so all the children went over to Stokes Elementary school." Llano said. "We didn't have space anymore to hold the old childhood center together."
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The decision to return to a school specific pre-K program was celebrated by the school administrators, teachers and others who were on hand.
"We as principals have been asking for pre-K to come back -- we never wanted them to leave. "We love having them in our building because it establishes that first connection at three years old - and the kids stay here with us."
"The benefit of having them here is the preschool teacher can communicate to kindergarten teacher -- and you get to see the kid grow." Howard Ottenberg, who has been teaching at the school for over 20 years, added.
Sweeney also said that a plan to fix the current school funding formula with the goal of getting every district to 100 percent funding within five years will soon be advanced through the Senate.
That bill is a joint effort by Sweeney and State Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex) and would be a 'living document' that is updated every two years, says Sweeney.
As Sweeney began to leave one teacher's classroom she grabbed the Senate President by his arm.
"Keep fighting the good fight," she said.
Greg Wright may be reached at gwright@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregTheWright. Find NJ.com on Facebook.