Thousands more New York families will have access to free prekindergarten this school year, as the state begins a multi-year push to make the program universal.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that new seats are being added in more than 400 public school districts — more than half of all public school districts statewide — with universal access for 4-year-olds planned by fall 2028.
Hochul announced the expansion as the new school year gets underway. The governor marked the rollout at a pre-K center on Long Island.
“I’ll never stop fighting to lower costs for families — and our historic investment has already delivered thousands more free Pre-K seats statewide, with tens of thousands more in the coming years,” Hochul said in a statement. “As New York’s first mom Governor, putting us on the path to statewide universal Pre-K was personal for me — and I’m ensuring that we will deliver on that promise.”
This year’s state budget includes a $563 million annual funding increase for universal pre-K during the 2026-27 school year.
The Hochul administration claimed annual funding available for the program has risen more than 70% since 2021.
The expansion reaches every region, including 58 districts in Western New York, 53 in the Mid-Hudson region, 45 in the Capital Region and 42 in the Finger Lakes.