NYS to Offer $10K a Year Per Student for Universal Pre K: What Will It Mean in Scarsdale?

Is Universal Pre-K coming to Scarsdale?

That’s what we wondered after Assemblywoman Amy Paulin announced the full funding of universal full-day pre-K in the NYS FY 2026-27 Budget. The budget officially puts New York on the path to provide full-day pre-K seats to all eligible 4-year-olds in NYS by the 2028-29 school year, by providing a funding increase to a minimum state reimbursement rate of $10,000 per pupil.

According to Paulin, “Pre-K provides our kids with a nurturing environment to build a meaningful foundation for their future K-12 education,” said Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. “Studies show that children who arrive at kindergarten prepared to learn perform better throughout school and complete more years of education. Public pre-K also enables parents of young children to return to the workforce. I’ve advocated for truly universal pre-K for all of NYS’ children for over a decade. Until now, most communities outside New York City either lacked public pre-K entirely because of a lack in funding or received only $5,400 per pupil for a full-day program—far too little to meet the need. With reimbursement now set at $10,000 per pupil, New York has a real opportunity to fully fund full-day pre-K for every 4-year-old statewide. Every child in New York needs and deserves the strong start that pre-K provides.”

So what does this mean for Scarsdale? Will the funding be adequate to offer a full day program for 4 year-olds and does the district have enough space to house another grade of children?

We posed some questions to Paulin and here is what we learned:

What does the new state funding program mean for Scarsdale?NYS Assemblymember Amy Paulin

The UPK funding (Universal Pre K) in the budget creates an opportunity for Scarsdale Schools to receive substantially increased state aid to provide UPK for four-year-olds. In the past there was either no funding available or it was an insufficient amount (either $2700/child for ½ day or $5400/child for full day) to support a program. There was also a very limited amount available at $10K/child through a competitive grant program which Scarsdale had not participated in.

Now the district can receive $10,000 for every four-year-old, without a competitive grant program, which is a much more realistic amount. We realize that $10K/child might still not be enough to fund pre-K in Scarsdale, which, if this is the case, the school district could choose to contribute any additional amount that’s needed.

Is Scarsdale required to offer Pre-K to all four-year-olds?

All school districts in NYS are mandated to make UPK available to all four-year-olds by the start of the 2028–29 school year. Note that parents will not be required to send their children to the district’s pre-K program.

Must the program be inside Scarsdale schools?

No. New York's UPK programs are (and have historically been) permitted to operate through a mix of:

District-operated classrooms in school buildings (White Plains has done this);

Community-based organizations (YMCAs, JCCs etc);

-Nursery schools;
-Child-care centers; and
-Other eligible early childhood providers under contract with the district.

In fact, we have often seen districts partner with existing nursery schools and childcare providers rather than creating all-new classrooms in elementary schools.

So, in short, for Scarsdale:

-The new budget makes $10K/student state funding available for universal four-year-old Pre-K.
-The district is required to have a UPK program for every child by the 2028-29 school year.
-The district would not have to house the program in Scarsdale school buildings; it could contract with private nursery schools or other community providers.