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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 14, 2024
For More Information Contact:

JP O'Hare

(518) 474-1201

Press@nysed.gov

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State Education Department Awards $34M in Universal Prekindergarten Expansion Grants

64 School Districts to Receive Funding

Grants will expand full-day PreK opportunities for four-year-old students

The Viva88Education Department awarded $34 million in Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) Expansion Grants to 64 school districts across the state, Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced today. The grants will enable districts to establish new full-day prekindergarten placements or to convert existing placements from half- to full-day.

Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said, "When children enroll in high-quality and effective PreK programs, theygain a significant advantage in early skills that prepare them for success in elementary school.Expanding access to full-day PreK programs through these grants will help more of New York’s children succeed."

Commissioner Rosa said, “When we provide equitable opportunities for children in their early years, they reap the benefits throughout their lives. The Department is deeply committed to providing a strong educational foundation to every single child in New York – because that is what each of them deserves.”

All public-school districts in Viva88were eligible to apply for this competitive grant opportunity. Grants were awarded based upon a district’s plan to serve a community’s highest need schools and students; the level of existing prekindergarten services; the extent to which a district planned to maximize the total number of eligible four-year-old children served in its programs; and other factors. Awarded school districts will be able to operate a 180-day program during the 2024-2025 school year.

The following school districts were awarded funding under the grant program:

Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) Expansion Grant Awards
School District Award Amount

Albany City School District

$1,265,442

Belfast Center School District

$43,206

Brewster Central School District

$900,000

Buffalo City School District

$2,500,000

Cambridge Central School District

$310,000

Chateaugay Central School District

$161,930

Clifton-Fine Central School District

$120,000

Cortland Enlarged City School District

$67,322

Cuba-Rushford Central School District

$162,719

Deposit Central School District

$264,000

Dryden Central School District

$191,543

East Ramapo Central School District

$2,498,848

East Syracuse Minoa School District

$465,175

Elba Central School District

$130,000

Ellicottville Central School District

$311,400

Evans-Brant (Lake Shore) Central School District

$180,000

Fabius Pompey Central School District

$180,000

Farmingdale Union Free School District

$919,800

Florida Union Free School District

$210,000

Frontier Central School District

$519,551

Fulton City School District

$917,065

Gananda Central School District

$434,230

Garden City Union Free School District

$2,390,000

Guilderland Central School District

$800,000

Hamburg Central School District

$180,000

Haverstraw Stony Point Central School District

$2,454,359

Hendrick Hudson Central School District

$590,000

Heuvelton Central School District

$224,748

Hudson City School District

$200,000

Iroquois Central School District

$360,000

Liberty Central School District

$221,908

Lisbon Central School District

$203,349

Livonia Central School District

$356,622

Malverne Union Free School District

$470,000

Mechanicville City School District

$180,000

Medina Central School District

$494,269

Merrick Union Free School District

$360,000

Milford Central School District

$83,417

Onondaga Central School District

$180,000

Onteora Central School District

$167,900

Oyster Bay & East Norwich Central School District

$660,000

Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District

$360,000

Poland Central School District

$400,000

Queensbury Union Free School District

$194,000

Riverhead Central School District

$1,000,581

Rockville Centre Union Free School District

$360,000

Roxbury Central School District

$100,000

Royalton-Hartland Central School District

$436,404

Rush-Henrietta Central School District

$544,756

Saranac Lake Central School District

$402,300

Seaford Union Free School District

$720,000

Sherrill City School District

$839,076

Southwestern at Jamestown Central School District

$114,173

Springville-Griffith Institute Central School District

$330,000

Starpoint Central School District

$1,213,528

Syosset Central School District

$910,000

Ticonderoga Central School District

$267,681

Tioga Central School District

$130,000

Washingtonville Central School District

$82,909

Webster Central School District

$1,204,300

West Canada Valley Central School District

$210,249

West Irondequoit Central School District

$540,000

Wheatland-Chili Central School District

$99,297

York Central School District

$272,000

Please visit the NYS Education Department’sEarly Learning websitefor more information about prekindergarten programs and other early childhood learning opportunities in New York State.