The Warwick Valley Central School District is pleased to offer a Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) during the 2023-24 school year. UPK is a special program funded by a New York State Education Department (NYSED) grant to provide an early learning experience for the children of WVCSD residents. The district issued a Request for Proposals to local, certified pre-K collaborating agencies to participate in hosting our UPK students, and has secured pre-K slots at four locations, for up to 132 children. Children enrolled in UPK will attend five hours per day, five days a week, for the 180 days of the educational year.
As required by state regulations, the district will have a lottery to determine who will be awarded the 132 slots. Lottery signups for UPK will open on Friday, May 5, 2023 and continue through Monday, May 22, 2023 on the district website. If your student is selected, parents will be notified by June 12, 2023.
Please note that the grant does not cover the costs of before and aftercare; however, all four locations do provide those services at an additional fee.
A Brief Overview of the UPK Program
* more detailed information follows in the FAQ section
- The 2023-24 program is limited to children who turn 4 years old by December 1, 2023.
- You must be a resident of the District by May 5, 2023, to be eligible for the UPK program.
- Children attend the UPK program 5 days per week for 5 hours each day.
- The UPK program follows the district calendar — 180 days of attendance, September through June.
- Families are responsible for transportation to and from the local daycare agency.
- WVCSD will be using funds allocated by NYSED. There is no cost to parents for the UPK program. However, providers may require a registration fee, which is not covered by the district.
- WVCSD cannot guarantee parents will receive their preferred choice of location.
- There is a 2-step application and registration process to qualify for the 2023-24 UPK program, which will open May 5, 2023 at noon and continue through May 22, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. The District will not select students on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Only fully-completed and approved 2-step application/registrations received by 4:00 p.m. on May 22, 2023 will be included in the selection process.
- There is limited availability for the program based on grant funding and program space. This funding allows us to enroll 132 students during the 2023-24 school year. If we receive more than 132 applications, the district will conduct a random lottery on May 25, 2023, at the Dorothy C. Wilson Education Center to determine which children will participate. Lottery numbers 133 and greater will establish the UPK Waiting List.
- The UPK office will email ALL applicants by June 12, 2023 to notify parents/guardians if their child was selected or placed on the waiting list. Parents/guardians will be asked to confirm receipt of the email notification. If we do not receive confirmation from you that you received the email notification, we will attempt to reach you by phone. If you do not respond within three (3) business days, your child will be moved to the end of the waiting list.
- We highly recommend that families with multiple children pre-register their children at their first choice of UPK provider for their tuition UPK program, as the selection of one twin, triplet or sibling has no effect on the selection of other siblings during the lottery selection process. Each child in the family is treated as an individual.
- Your child must be up-to-date with vaccination requirements.
- If your child is selected, their UPK provider will require a separate registration.
Student Allocation by Provider
Village Childcare, LLC – 73 slots
Two locations: 95 Kings Hwy. & 199 Kings Hwy.
Warwick Day Care Center – 23 Slots
18 Grand St.
The Rhythm & Rhyme Childcare Center – 20 slots
65 Ronald Reagan Blvd.
Mini Me Childcare (St. Stephens) – 16 slots
75 Sanfordville Rd.
UPK FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Universal Prekindergarten (UPK)?
UPK is a free preschool experience made possible through a grant from the New York State Education Department (NYSED). As long as the funding remains available and the District has the human resources to coordinate the program, the District can offer the program.
Is the UPK program free?
Yes. The cost of UPK tuition for those students chosen through a lottery selection process is paid for by the grants. There are no fees paid by the family for 5 hours per day/5 days a week.
Can the UPK grant money be allocated between all the children who sign up?
No. The grant is required to pay for 5 hours of Universal Prekindergarten per student/5 days per week for a maximum of 132 students. The District only receives the grant money/aid based on the number of students attending a program for 5-hour per day/5 days a week.
What days are the children off from school?
The UPK Program follows the Warwick Valley Central School District Student Calendar.
How long is the program?
The program is 5 hours per day, Monday through Friday, for 180 days (as per the District calendar).
Is the program run by the Warwick Valley Central School District?
The program is administered by the Warwick Valley Central School District, but it is offered at community-based organizations (also referred to as “Providers”).
Who is eligible? How do I apply?
Warwick Valley Central School District children who turn 4 years of age on or before December 1, 2023 are eligible for the program. You must be a resident of the district as of May 5, 2023. To apply, you need to complete the 2-step UPK application/registration process between May 5 and May 22, 2023. You may sign up no later than 4 p.m. on May 22, 2023. This allows proper processing for our May 25 lottery/selection process. Children who turn 5 are not eligible, as per New York State regulations. Applications/registrations received after the deadline will automatically be placed at the end of the UPK waiting list.
If I sign up early, does that improve my child’s chance of being selected?
No. All completed, eligible application/registrations will be included in the lottery/selection process – one per child. The District is accepting applications (see Step 1 & Step 2 above) from May 5 at noon through May 22, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. for the 2023-24 school year. This is not a first-come, first-served selection process.
Can all District 4-year-olds attend?
No. The amount of funding from the New York State Education Department allocated for this grant will determine how many students can be served. Historically, there are more applicants than the number of available spots; therefore, a lottery is used in the selection process to determine who will participate. All students who are not selected during the lottery will be placed on a waiting list. If any vacancies occur during the year, they will be filled until the waiting list has been exhausted.
When will we know if the grant is going to be offered again?
As we move through the WVCSD budget process, we will know if the grant funds and our resources are sufficient to run the program next year. After the state and local school budgets have been decided, we will know if the UPK program will be offered and for how many students.
How will I know if my child has been chosen?
The lottery selection will take place on May 25, 2023 to determine which students will start the program in September 2023. The UPK office will email ALL applicants by June 12, 2023 to notify parents/guardians if their child was selected or placed on the waiting list. Parents/guardians will be asked to confirm receipt of the email notification. If we do not receive confirmation from you that you received the email notification, we will attempt to reach you by phone. If you do not respond in three (3) business days, your child will be moved to the end of the waiting list.
If selected, which UPK provider will my child attend?
During the application process, you will indicate your first choice out of the three UPK provider locations. We will place students with their first choice unless that provider is full or your child has certain medical and/or physical needs that dictate they be placed at a specific UPK provider. If your child does not have any medical and/or physical needs and their first choice is full, we will move to the second choice or until a placement is available.
How will my child’s medical and/or physical needs affect which UPK provider my child will attend?
If your child is selected during the lottery process and currently has any medical and/or physical needs that have been documented by a physician and we are able to meet those needs at a specific UPK provider, your child will be placed at that provider. If your child develops any medical and/or physical needs that are documented by a physician after they have been placed at one of the UPK providers, we retain the right to switch your child’s placement to the UPK provider where those needs can best be met regardless of the time of year.
Can we choose the location we want our child to go to?
You can indicate on your application your first choice of the provider you would like. We will make every attempt to accommodate your request unless your child’s medical and/or physical needs dictate which provider they will need. We cannot guarantee placement at a specific provider.
How does the waiting list work?
If, for any reason, a child drops out of the UPK program, the next child on the waiting list will be offered the vacant spot. If the family declines the vacancy for any reason, they will be removed from the waiting list and will become ineligible to participate in the UPK program for the 2023-24 school year.
How does the lottery process work for twins, triplets, siblings?
The lottery selection process does not give preference to families with twins, triplets, etc. Each child is entered as an individual student and will be selected according to the lottery process. The selection of one twin, triplet or sibling has no effect on the selection of any other siblings during the lottery selection process.
What happens if one of my twins is selected and one is placed on the waiting list?
We highly recommend that families with multiple 4-year olds pre-register their children at their first choice of UPK provider for their tuition UPK program. Most of the UPK providers offer pre-registration in order to guarantee a child’s spot in September. If one twin is selected during the lottery process and one is placed on the waiting list, it would be up to the parents/guardians to decide if they are able and willing to pay for the other twin to attend the same UPK program.
Can a parent pay for an eligible child to attend additional hours in the program?
Yes. All Providers offer before and aftercare programs at an additional cost. All questions regarding additional hours and costs for before and aftercare should be addressed directly with the UPK provider.
What if there is a custody situation regarding my child?
You must provide court documentation at time of registration. In addition, you must notify the UPK provider. We recommend that you follow up with the UPK provider to be sure that all the proper safeguards are in place.
What if my child has a severe allergy or other serious medical condition?
A medical history questionnaire and NYS school health examination form are required as part of the UPK application/registration. The UPK Nurse reviews these forms; and if your child is selected, you will meet with the UPK nurse during registration. Any serious medical condition must be reported directly to the UPK Nurse and also to the UPK provider. We recommend that you follow up with the UPK Provider to be sure that all the proper safeguards are in place.
What are the immunization requirements?
Children must receive all first, age/grade level appropriate doses, or overdue follow-up doses if they already received prior doses in a series, within 14 days from the first day of instruction for the school year, as well as provide evidence of age appropriate appointments for the next follow-up doses (in accordance with the ACIP schedule) within 30 days of the first day of attendance.
Is there a religious exemption for immunization requirements?
New York State no longer offers a religious exemption for immunizations.
Is there a medical exemption for immunization requirements?
Yes. A valid medical exemption must adhere to all of the following:
- Must be submitted on a signed, completed medical exemption form issued by NYSDOH
- Specify which immunizations may be detrimental to the child’s health
- Contain sufficient information to determine if a medical contraindication to a specific immunization exists
- Specify the length of time the immunization is medically contraindicated
- Be reissued annually
The UPK nurse may require additional information.
What is taught in the program?
All UPK providers that are contracted by the district must follow the New York State Pre-Kindergarten Learning Standards and utilize the Teaching Strategies Creative Curriculum. Each provider is permitted flexibility in how they choose to deliver the curriculum.
Does each UPK Provider have to run an identical program?
Specific teachers, lessons and special events will vary by location. However, UPK providers selected by the WVCSD Board of Education must adhere to state and local standards.
Is transportation available?
No. Families must provide transportation for their child. It is expected that students will be dropped off and picked up at the appointed starting and ending times for their particular class. The grant pays for students to attend school for a specific amount of time each day school is in session; therefore, it is not acceptable or permissible to repeatedly drop off your child late for class or pick them up early before class ends. If you regularly do not get your child to school on time or regularly pick them up before class ends, it may jeopardize your child’s continued enrollment in the UPK program. In addition, UPK is a 5 hour/day, 5 day/week commitment; no partial weeks. If your child does not attend regularly, they will be removed from the UPK program.
Is lunch provided in the full-day program?
Students in the UPK program should bring lunch to school with them each day.
Does my child need to be potty trained?
Yes. If you have not already started to potty train your child, we highly recommend you search the internet for the PDF or the eBook “3 Day Potty Training” by Lora Jensen. There may be a fee to purchase or download this file/eBook.
If I choose to pre-register my child now and then my child is selected for UPK, what happens to the registration fee I paid when I pre-registered?
If you pre-register your child at one of the district’s UPK providers and your child is selected for UPK, the provider will apply the registration fee you previously paid. Conversely, if you choose to pre-register your child at a non-WVCSD pre-K provider and your child is selected for WVCSD UPK, it is up to that non-WVCSD prekindergarten provider to decide whether they will refund any registration fees you paid when you pre-registered your child.
If my child is placed on the waiting list, can I still pay to send my child to a prekindergarten class?
Yes. Please contact the prekindergarten provider directly to enroll and pay for your child to attend their independent prekindergarten program.
Are there class size limits for UPK?
The maximum UPK class size is 20 students. Classes with 19 or 20 students require one teacher and two paraprofessionals. Classes of 18 or fewer students require one teacher and one paraprofessional.
[April 22, 2022]