Universal Pre-K (UPK) funding and expansion update

This update addresses recent social media posts concerning our Universal Pre-K (UPK) funding and claims that the district is "leaving money on the table."

While early implementation windows did leave funds unspent, our deliberate strategy is successfully closing that gap.

The reality of scaling UPK

UPK funding cannot simply be used to write a check. Securing state aid requires meeting strict operational mandates. Expanding too quickly risks compromising the quality and safety of our K-5 environments.

Our growth is strictly governed by three factors:

• Physical Space: Opening Pre-K classrooms requires shifting existing K-5 resources and navigating building capacities.

• Staffing Ratios: We must maintain strict, state-mandated teacher-to-student ratios amidst a historic regional teacher shortage.

• Lottery System: We utilize a lottery not to turn families away, but to ensure equity while we safely scale capacity.

Lakeland’s strategic expansion

We have aggressively expanded our UPK program in partnership with the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester. We have scaled from two, to three, and now across four elementary schools: Lincoln-Titus, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.

This is a statewide challenge. Out of $1.2 billion allocated for NYS public Pre-K programs, school districts left over $170 million unspent due to the exact scaling and staffing shortages Lakeland has faced.

Financial progress data

The data below illustrates how our methodical site expansion is working. By restructuring partnerships and adding campuses, we increased our utilization rate to 77% and significantly reduced returned funds.

Our systematic approach is working exactly as intended: capturing maximum state aid as fast as physical infrastructure and staffing allow, without compromising our schools.

Dr. Karen Gagliardi is Superintendent of the Lakeland Central School District.