Kotek Pushes Universal Preschool Plan in Oregon
Oregon's governor promoted state work toward universal preschool at a Gresham school while an expert panel prepares its first recommendations.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Child Care
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Governor Tina Kotek met with families and state child care leaders at Harmony Montessori School in Gresham on October 23. She said she is prepared to receive the first recommendations from an expert panel she convened in February, expected in early November.
Why it matters
The state is working to make early learning programs easier for families to navigate and aims to reach universal preschool through a mixed delivery model. Kotek said the state must make such programs sustainable so they can meet their goals.
Governor Kotek's timeline projects about four years for the state to ramp up to universal preschool. The extraction does not specify the funding amount or enrollment targets for the state effort.
The players
Tina Kotek
Tina Kotek is the Governor of Oregon, a Democrat who has prioritized early childhood policy and convened the state's expert panel on universal preschool.
Jessica Vega Pederson
Jessica Vega Pederson is the Chair of Multnomah County, which funds the Preschool for All program through a local income tax.
The details
Kotek warned last summer that Multnomah County's Preschool for All, funded by a marginal income tax on higher earners, was driving taxpayers out of the state. On October 23 she said the state needs to see expanded programs like the county initiative, while Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said state work must not limit the county's commitment.
Timeline
February: Kotek convened an expert panel on universal preschool.
Summer 2025: Kotek warned that Preschool for All was driving taxpayers out of the state.
October 23, 2026: Kotek met families and state child care leaders at Harmony Montessori School in Gresham.
Early November 2026: The expert panel's first recommendations are expected.
Season Trajectory
Oregon's statewide push builds on Multnomah County's Preschool for All, the county-level universal preschool program funded by a marginal income tax on higher earners. The state effort seeks to extend that model across Oregon while the county insists its own commitment not be undermined.
Families in Oregon may see early learning programs integrated into one system that is easier to navigate as the state works toward universal preschool. The mixed delivery model planned for the state will shape how programs are offered over the next several years.
The takeaway
Families in Oregon should watch for the expert panel's recommendations in early November, which will shape how the state builds its universal preschool system. The governor's emphasis on sustainability suggests the state will weigh cost and reach as it moves forward.
What happens next
The expert panel's first set of recommendations on universal preschool is expected in early November.
Further reading
Explore more on Child Care to see how families and states are approaching early learning programs.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Willamette Week.
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