Competitive season for Universal Pre-K applicants 

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The struggle to get your kids into Universal Pre-K is becoming more dependent on the luck of the draw. News10NBC spoke to one local school district about the ever-changing program and its offerings.

The East Irondequoit Central School District said this 2023-2024 school year is the first year that they’ve had full-day Universal Pre-K in their schools.

“It’s a bit of a misnomer that it’s called Universal Pre-K,” said Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Mark Anson. “Because districts are reliant on the federal government and the state government.”

UPK is free to parents. The cost is covered by state and federal money, and more districts are implementing full-day options.

Anson said they surveyed parents just before the pandemic, to gauge their interests and needs. The response was largely, a desire for a full-day option.

“We’ve seen a strong application number both last year and this year, having moved into the full-day UPK realm. We do run a lottery.”

This year, Anson said they got 134 applications, but could only place 108. 

Sometimes unique situations come up, and parents try to place triplets or twins. The hope is for everyone can get a spot in the lottery.

“When one name comes up, it could be 50, 60 more selections before their twin comes up. But you can’t prioritize given the expectation of those grants. You can’t prioritize a child for any reason,” said Anson.

Other districts holding lotteries, include Gates-Chili, Fairport, and Penfield.

The space available varies, depending on the district.

For example, Rush-Henrietta can accommodate up to 266 students next school year, with the help of two grants. Penfield, on the other hand, can only take 90.

“As a parent, it’s so disappointing that our son may not even have the chance to be in this lottery,” said one Penfield parent at a recent board meeting.

“Private preschool is very expensive. Local spots are extremely competitive, with year-plus waiting lists,” said another Penfield parent.

As a parent himself, Anson said he understands the frustration and competition. Adding, the district is making an effort to expand.

“I don’t know that I have advice, it’s really like I said, having lived through this myself, it is really about going out and finding what is available, what is affordable,” said Anson.

Districts like East Irondequoit, Penfield, and Fairport have been partnering with outside, community-based organizations to free up space.

Anson said he hopes to see more of that in the years to come, so they can offer more spots.