TRENTON, N.J. — Parents of twins and other multiple-birth children in New Jersey could have more control over whether their children attend preschool together or separately under legislation advanced Thursday by the Assembly Education Committee.
The bill, A5218, would extend existing classroom placement rights for parents of twins and higher-order multiples in kindergarten through 12th grade to public preschool programs.
The legislation is sponsored by Assemblyman Greg McGuckin, R-Ocean, and Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, R-Sussex, Morris and Warren. It was inspired by a Brick Township mother whose identical twin daughters faced separation because of a preschool enrollment lottery.
“A parent’s right to make the best educational decisions for their children doesn’t stop at the doors of a public preschool. New Jersey needs to extend the rights afforded to parents of multiples in elementary and middle school to preschool as it has become critical resource for many families,” McGuckin said.
Under current New Jersey law, parents or guardians of twins or higher-order multiples enrolled in the same public school from kindergarten through 12th grade may request that their children be placed together in the same classroom or in separate classrooms.
The proposed legislation would extend those rights to public preschool programs and allow parents to request that their children be treated as a single unit during preschool enrollment lotteries or open enrollment.
Earlier this month, Brick Township mother Jackie Anderson testified before the Senate Education Committee about her experience with the preschool lottery system.
Anderson said one of her twin daughters was accepted into her school district’s preschool program while the other was not.
“A random lottery outcome had the power to make a significant developmental decision for two three-year-old twins. A lottery should determine whether a seat is available. It should not determine whether young multiples are separated. Separation should be an individualized developmental decision, not one made by chance,” Anderson said.
The bill would apply to public preschool programs operated by school districts, Head Start programs and licensed child care providers.
Fantasia, a longtime educator, said the legislation would build on protections established in 2008 that gave parents of multiples a voice in classroom placement decisions for their school-age children.
“The legislature in 2008 wisely afforded the right of parents to have a say in how K-12 schools placed twins. By including public preschools into the law, we can create a statewide standard ensuring all families of multiples have the chance to choose what works best for their children,” Fantasia said.
The legislation would establish a statewide standard for parental input in preschool placement decisions involving twins and higher-order multiples.
The bill now awaits further consideration in the Legislature.
