SOUTHERN TIER, N.Y. (WBNG) — Families across New York State will have more access to childcare in the coming years as hundreds of school districts across the state obtained more pre-K seats for families as part of a statewide expansion by the governor.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the expansion of free Pre-K in more than 400 school districts across New York State on Wednesday, Sept. 2, including districts in Broome, Tioga, Chenango, Tompkins and Delaware counties.
Hochul said the expansion brings thousands of new Pre-K seats online as the school year begins, with tens of thousands more seats planned in the coming years.
“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. “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.”
Hochul marked the start of the expansion by cutting the ribbon on the new Silas Wood Pre-K Center in South Huntington, on Long Island. The South Huntington School District can now guarantee a Pre-K seat to every eligible four-year-old in the district whose family wants one, eliminating the district’s previous lottery and waitlist system.
In this year’s state budget, Hochul secured a $563 million annual increase in funding for the 2026-27 school year for universal Pre-K, part of a broader $1.7 billion investment in childcare programs for fiscal year 2027. The state plans to make Pre-K universal for 4-year-olds statewide by the start of the 2028-29 school year. Total annual funding available for Universal Pre-K programs has increased by more than 70% since 2021.
Local districts
The following school districts in Broome, Tioga, Chenango, Tompkins and Delaware counties are projected to add new Pre-K seats this year:
Broome County
Binghamton City SDHarpursville CSDJohnson City CSDUnion-Endicott CSDVestal CSD
Tioga County
Candor CSDNewark Valley CSDTioga CSD
Chenango County
Afton CSDBainbridge-Guilford CSDGreene CSDNorwich City SDOxford Academy & CSDSherburne-Earlville CSD
Tompkins County
Dryden CSDGroton CSDIthaca City SDNewfield CSDTrumansburg CSD
Delaware County
Delaware Academy CSD at DelhiDownsville CSDFranklin CSDMargaretville CSDSouth Kortright CSD
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