Expanded Access to Real Learning for our Young Act or the EARLY Act

This bill authorizes the Department of Education to award competitive grants to states to carry out full-day prekindergarten programs.

The programs must:

• be located at public schools, if practicable, or otherwise carried out by private or other community providers;
• permit parents, regardless of income, to voluntary enroll their four-year old children in the programs and do so at no cost if their combined income does not exceed 400% of the poverty line;
• be full-day programs that run the length of the regular school year;
• maintain a maximum class size of 20 children, with at least 1 prekindergarten teacher per classroom;
• ensure that the ratio of children to prekindergarten teachers and teacher aides does not exceed 10 to 1;
• be taught by teachers who are paid a salary comparable to kindergarten through grade 12 teachers at the state's public schools; and
• meet a minimum level of parental engagement set by the state.

Grant priority shall be given to states that carry out the programs at public schools.

The federal share of a grant may not exceed 75% of the prekindergarten program's costs.