What does this measure?

The number of children enrolled in public or private prekindergarten education programs, expressed as a percentage of all children age 4.

Why is this important?

Early emphasis on reading and social skills prepares children to succeed later in their education.

How is our county doing?

In 2017, 44% of Essex County 4-year olds were enrolled in a pre-kindergarten education program, lower than the state rate of 54% in 2017. There has been a steady increase in participation, rising from 36% in 2002. Over that time, there was a larger increase in enrollment in public programs, rising 23% to more than 3,000, than private programs, which decreased 6% to over 900.

How do we compare to similar counties?

Essex County had a lower participation rate than Middlesex, MA, whose rate was 52% in 2017. Comparable data were not available for Westchester, NY and Lake, IL.

Notes about the data

Enrollment is based on counts made on Oct. 1 of each year.