Only 44% of children entering kindergarten in Florida are ready to learn, according to a new Early Learning Report released by the Florida Chamber of Commerce Thursday.

The report is based on findings observed during the 2025-2026 school year, which showed the majority of Florida children entering kindergarten in 2025 were not ready.

One of the factors that promoted kindergarten readiness was whether the child participated in Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten program. Those who completed VPK were “significantly” more likely to enter kindergarten prepared, the report said.

The concern is that among the children who begin kindergarten behind their peers, 75% of them never catch up, according to the report. Meanwhile, students who entered kindergarten more prepared were more likely to read proficiently by third grade, more likely to graduate on time, and more likely to enter post secondary education or the workforce with the skills they need to succeed.

“Florida’s future workforce begins long before a student enters the job market. It begins before a child enters a kindergarten classroom,” said Mark Wilson, President and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Florida Chamber Foundation. “When more than half of Florida’s children start school behind, it creates challenges that can follow them throughout their education and careers. Improving kindergarten readiness requires business, education, community, and policy leaders working together to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed and Florida has the talent pipeline needed to remain globally competitive.”

The results were mixed based on location, with some counties showing nearly 60% readiness and others below 20%. The top five counties for kindergarten outcomes were St. Johns, Sarasota, Pinellas, Brevard, and Martin. The five worst counties were Jefferson at 13%, DeSoto, Hardee, Okeechobee, and Gulf.

But even within the highest performing counties, disparities were observed. In St. Johns, there were “sharp contrasts” between affluent areas and those with higher levels of poverty. At Pointe Vedra Palm Valley Rawlings, where the population had 5.1% of economically-disadvantaged students, kindergarten readiness was nearly at 70%. Meanwhile, at James A. Webster Elementary, which is the county’s lowest performing school, 94.4% were economically-disadvantaged and the kindergarten readiness rate was 38%, according to the report.

One of the top recommendations was to close access gaps by increasing high-quality child care for children under 5 and expanding child care affordability through the School Readiness Program, which is the state’s child care tuition assistance program, and employer child care tax credits.

The report said grants should be offered to early learning coalitions and child care providers to increase the quality of instructional material.

“Florida’s talent pipeline begins years before a student enters the workforce, and if we fix early learning, we fix 1,000 other things,” said Corrie Melton, Vice President of Talent Development, Future of Work, Florida Chamber Foundation. “Strengthening kindergarten readiness is one of the smartest long-term investments Florida can make to secure its future workforce and economic competitiveness.”