Universal pre-k remains unmet goal
Statewide survey shows lack of funding No. 1 obstacle for schools
In New York City, thousands of New York children are preparing for their first day of preschool, but in the rest of the state, thousands more will miss out on this enriching first year.
Just 34 percent of public school superintendents say their community’s preschool needs are being met by existing public and private programs, according to a statewide survey conducted in August by the New York State Council of School Superintendents.
More than half of superintendents surveyed cite insufficient state funding as the largest
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I think New Yorkers are used to Gov. Cumo making big promises and not delivering. At the rate he’s going, it’s going to be 60 years before every kid in New York has pre-k.” Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education
hurdle to implementation of fulltime early childhood programs in their districts, according to the poll, which sheds light on the haphazard implementation of New York’s universal pre-k push in recent years.
At least 10 percent of superintendents in the Capital Region — and 13 percent statewide — said their districts did not have a universal pre-k program, but they would initiate one with the availability of more state funds. Another 40 percent of those surveyed said they would expand existing pre-kindergarten programs if there were enough state funds.
“What I hear is a strong recognition of the value of pre-k and that’s partly exhibited by the fact that districts jump into the program despite stagnation in funding,” said Robert Lowry, the council’s deputy director for advocacy, research and communications. “Uncertainty about future funding is something that holds it back.”
Other obstacles to implementation include a lack of space (21 percent in the region, 17 percent statewide) or a lack of communitybased organization to operate a pre-kindergarten, according to the survey. Some top administrators said they applied for state funds but were denied. At least one cited a lack of funds for transportation and another cited opposition from private programs in the community.
The benefits of preschool education during the formative years on cognitive development, academic success and graduation rates have long been recognized and universal pre-k funding has existed in the state in some form since the 1990s. In 2014, Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed to universalize access to free, high-quality preschool across New York.
“As quickly as cities can bring it online, we will fund it,” Cuomo said at the time.
New York has since doubled its universal pre-k grants in the state budget, increasing funding from $385 million to $849 million annually, noted Cuomo spokesman Jason Conwall.
“Right now, there is $15 million in new grants — open until September 18, 2019 — for which we strongly encourage districts to apply,” Conwall said. “As a result of our efforts to expand access, over 90 percent of high-need districts in the state have universal pre-k and our commitment to all students remains unwavering.”
The state is also working to consolidate eight unique universal pre-k grant programs that evolved under different administrations to create a more cohesive application process.
But the availability of pre-k continues to vary widely by region. The majority of school districts upstate only offer half-day programs. Just 54 of 732 school districts in New York received grants for full-time pre-k programs during the 2018-19 school year, according to the state Education Department.
Six districts in New York still do not offer full-time kindergarten, including Shenendehowa in Saratoga County, which cites a lack of classroom space. (Last year’s efforts to mandate full-time kindergarten legislatively were unsuccessful.
And while select districts have begun creating preschools for 3-year-olds, at least 80,000 4-yearolds — mostly outside New York City — still have no access to fullday pre-k, according to estimates from the Alliance for Quality Education.
Without a set deadline or adequate money, advocates say it may take decades before highquality preschool is available to all 4-year-olds in New York.
“I think New Yorkers are used to Gov. Cuomo making big promises and not delivering, and this is one more example,” AQE Executive Director Billy Easton said. “At the rate he’s going, it’s going to be 60 years before every kid in New York has pre-k.”
Enrollment data from the Education Department indicate the highest universal pre-k participation rates are in New York City, where more than 90 percent of 4-year-olds attend state-subsidized preschool programs.
There is around 60 percent use of state-funded programs in western New York, Mohawk Valley and the North Country regions.
The Capital Region lags — just 37 percent of 4-year-olds in 11 regional districts are served by state-funded preschool programs, according to state data.
The state’s pre-k participation statistics do not reflect families who send children to private programs or choose to keep them at home. It also doesn’t consider public school districts that do not qualify for pre-k grants and fund their own preschool programs.
At the Salem school district in rural Washington County, officials recognized a scarcity of available early childhood programs, but the district lacked the administrative infrastructure to compete for universal pre-k funds. For the last three years, Salem has carved up its limited budget to fund classroom supplies, teachers and transportation for 30 preschoolers without state assistance.
“It’s a priority for us so we put that into place and we make tough choices,” Salem Superintendent David Glover said. “Every year we talk about cutting transportation and every year we make it work.”