16 / matters magazine / school 2026
T
here is something magical about a pre­
school classroom. Paint is still drying 
on yesterday’s masterpiece. A child 
proudly zips a jacket for the very first 
time. A tower of wooden blocks tee­
ters before tumbling to the floor, send­
ing giggles across the room.
To the casual observer, it may look like chil­
dren are simply playing. The educators who spend 
their days in these classrooms know something 
else is happening.  
“This is where life’s most important lessons – 
how to share, solve problems, ask questions and 
regulate emotions – take shape,” says Dana Kear­
ney, CEO and founder of Village Babies Develop­
ment Center in South Orange. “Those first experi­
ences matter more than many people realize.”
Leroy Johnson III, director of early childhood 
education for the School District of South Orange 
and Maplewood, has spent nearly two decades in 
early childhood education. However, he did not 
intend to become one of the region’s strongest ad­
vocates for preschool. “I started out as a substitute 
teacher and found an opportunity to teach pre­
school,” Johnson says. “I was so full. Just seeing 
the growth in students – even from day to day, 
being more confident walking through the door, 
watching tears turn into smiles – reminded me 
why I wanted to do this work.”
Johnson leads Universal Pre-K for the district, 
helping hundreds of children begin their educa­
tional journey each year. He can talk about enroll­
ment, funding and partnerships, but the conversa­
tion inevitably circles back to the children. “This 
has been my life’s work,” he says.
Johnson joined the district in 2019. He believes 
the earliest years of education lay the foundation 
for everything that follows. “The work doesn’t end 
when children leave preschool. It’s just the begin­
ning,” he says. 
One moment, in particular, has stayed with 
him. The very first preschool student Johnson ever 
taught recently graduated from high school.
“I was invited to their graduation,” he says. 
“When I tell you it touched my heart tremen­
dously, it reminded me why I do what I do. You 
don’t always get to see the long-term impact of this 
work, but when you do, it’s incredibly rewarding.”
Universal Pre-K has been steadily expanding in 
Maplewood and South Orange since the district 
opened its flagship Montrose Early Childhood 
Center in 2015. What began with 61 preschool 
students at the center accelerated after the district 
secured New Jersey’s Preschool Education Expan­
sion Aid in 2018, paving the way for today’s dis­
trictwide Universal Pre-K program.
Now nearly 500 children ages 3 and 4 par­
ticipate in the district’s free Universal Pre-K pro­
gram each year, reflecting the program’s continued 
growth and the strong demand from local families. 
During the past decade, the school district has 
significantly expanded its Universal Pre-K pro­
gram. Rather than building new schools, the dis­
trict has partnered with local childcare providers.
“For families, the partnership model creates 
more opportunities to access high-quality pre­
school throughout Maplewood and South Or­
ange,” Johnson says. “For providers, it means 
opening their doors to a new model of public 
education, one that blends district oversight with 
decades of community experience.”
Dana Kearney wasn’t immediately convinced it 
was the right fit for Village Babies Development 
Center. “When district leaders first approached 
me about becoming a Universal Pre-K partner, I 
politely declined,” she says.
But over time, she began noticing something she 
couldn’t ignore. “Families weren’t leaving because 
they were dissatisfied with Village Babies,” Kearney 
says. “They were leaving because they wanted access 
to the district’s free Universal Pre-K program.”
The changes and the opportunity to become 
part of a larger community effort shifted her per­
spective. “I took a leap of faith,” she says.
Village Babies, one of the school district’s nine 
Universal Pre-K partners, now operates two dis­
trict-funded preschool classrooms alongside its 
A Game Changer 
for Families
How the school district is building a stronger start for young learners through Universal Pre-K
BY AMY LYNN-CRAMER
L to R: Dana Kearney, owner of Village Babies 
Development Center with teachers Kimberly 
Williams, Renae Miller and Briana Saunders. 
(Olivia Senior not pictured.)

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