Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight
South Dakota is one of five states without state-funded preschool, according to a national report released Wednesday.
The Mount Rushmore State is joined by Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and New Hampshire. The number of states without state-funded preschool has dropped from 10 as recently as 2012.
Forty-four states and Washington, D.C., have programs that meet the National Institute for Early Education Research’s definition of a state-funded preschool program, according to the institute’s new report. Indiana’s program does not meet the definition because it has a parental work or school requirement, the report says.
Nationally, 37% of 4-year-olds are enrolled in state-funded preschool. States spent nearly $14.4 billion on preschool during the 2024-2025 school year, according to the report.
Investments in preschool programs can produce a “better future for children and taxpayers,” said Steve Barnett, director of the organization, in a news release.
“South Dakota needs to invest in preschool access and quality to help more families prepare their 3- and 4-year-olds for school and life success as the state falls far behind its neighbors in publicly funded early education opportunities,” Barnett said.
About 58% of parents in South Dakota say their children ages 3 to 5 years old are ready for school — one of the lowest percentages in the nation, according to a 2025 report from the National Survey of Children’s Health.
Early child education needs in South Dakota are filled by private and faith-based programs, school districts and through the national Head Start program for low-income children. But in the Sioux Falls School District, nearly 400 children are on waiting lists to participate in early childhood programs.