Lakeland projected to receive funding for 40 additional UPK seats

Lakeland is projected to receive funding for 40 additional Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) seats for the 2026-27 school year, according to Assemblyman Matt Slater’s office.

Slater announced Sept. 25 that school districts in the 94th Assembly District are projected to receive nearly $1.9 million in additional UPK aid next school year, supporting a projected net increase of 100 UPK seats across the district.

Lakeland is projected to see the largest increase in UPK seats among the districts represented by Slater, with 40 additional seats. Brewster is projected to receive 25 additional seats, followed by Mahopac with 15 and Carmel with 12.

According to enacted state budget school aid estimates, UPK funding across the school districts serving the 94th Assembly District is projected to increase from $8.84 million in 2025-26 to $10.76 million in 2026-27, an increase of $1,919,028.

“Expanding access to pre-K is an investment in our children and a direct benefit for working families,” Slater said in the release, adding that he believes the additional aid “coming into our local school districts means more opportunities for children to get a strong start and more options for parents who are balancing the demands of work and family.”

The 2026-27 state budget also made several changes to New York’s UPK program. According to the New York State Education Department, all school districts can now access UPK funding, the program has moved to a single funding structure, and per-pupil funding rates for 4-year-olds have increased.

Districts can enroll eligible 4-year-olds and receive state funding for each student served, provided program requirements are met.

“Every family should have access to quality early learning opportunities regardless of their ZIP code,” Slater said. “These investments give our school districts greater resources to meet the needs of their communities and expand opportunities where there is demand.”

The 2026-27 figures are preliminary estimates and were generated before actual student counts for the current school year were available. NYSED will use student enrollment data reported this fall to determine final UPK payments.

The department has designated Oct. 7 as Basic Education Data System Day, when final child counts will be calculated for 2026-27 payments.

“This is encouraging progress, but our work does not end with one budget,” Slater said. “I will continue working with our local school districts and families to ensure our communities have the resources they need to give every child the opportunity to succeed.”