SOMERS, N.Y. - The lottery for the Somers Central School District’s Universal Pre-K program is officially open.
It started at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1. The window for submitting applications closes on Friday, Jan. 15, 2027.
The publicly funded, tuition-free program provides learning opportunities for four-year-olds and helps them transition into K-12 education.
UPK programs focus on building foundational cognitive, social, and emotional skills pin order to prepare young children for school success.
To be eligible, children must be residents of the district and turn four by Dec. 31, 2027.
The instructional program is located at the Primrose Elementary School and runs daily from 8:30 a.m. To 1:30 p.m.
(PES is located at 110 Primrose St. (Route 139) in Lincolndale.)
It is subsidized by the state and there is no cost to eligible families.
Extended care is available, but that cost is paid directly by the family to the provider, which currently is the YMCA. It operates the program under an agreement with the school district.
The program follows curriculum and quality standards that have been approved by the state Education Department.
State standards, the district says, foster development in literacy, math, science, social-emotional learning, and physical activity.
The YMCA and the district’s Learning Office will collaborate on overseeing the curriculum, which includes Scholastic Pre-K On My Way, along with Heggerty and Fundations Pre-K literacy programs used by K-2 students.
Classrooms will be staffed by a state-certified teacher and at least one teaching assistant, depending on the final class size, in compliance with NYSED regulations.
Parents are advised to reach out to the YMCA directly to inquire about aftercare and to add their children to the list. Spots fill up quickly.
Parents are responsible for transportation to and from the program.
A free lunch is provided.
GOOD TO KNOW
Filling out the lottery application does not obligate families to participate. The purpose is to gather a complete interest list, the district said. Families who submit responses will receive additional information after the survey closes on Jan. 15, 2027.
If their child is not selected, families may be placed on a waitlist in case additional spots become available.
Families can register their children using the online lottery portal via the Somers Central School District UPK Page.
For further information or assistance, contact Elizabeth Turner, the district’s director of learning – elementary, by calling (914) 277-3399, Ext. 5405, or emailing the district’s office via www.somersschools.org/academics.
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