Cornwall board agrees to add 20 UPK seats after parents and providers press for expansion

Residents and early-childhood providers urged the Cornwall Central School District Board of Education on April 7 to expand universal prekindergarten (UPK) slots; the board responded by directing administrators to include 20 additional UPK seats in the proposed 2025–26 budget.

The appeal came during the meeting’s public-comment period. "My name is Cynthia Fasillo. I am one of the advocates for the universal pre kindergarten group UPK for Cornwall, New York," said Cynthia Fasillo, who asked the board to prioritize children by increasing available seats. Multiple parents and providers testified that UPK supports school readiness and that early education reduces later intervention needs.

Why it matters: Board members said the extra seats would cost the district more in 2025–26 but argued the investment would expand access for families who lack affordable options. Business official John Fink had earlier put a 10-seat addition at about $35,000; board members debated whether to fund 10 or 20 seats as part of the overall budget choices.

Public commenters and a local provider pressed for two policy changes: a larger slot increase and clearer, earlier transparency about provider rates and before/after-care costs. "If we put it to a base rate, we could be saving the district, Cornwall, over $300,000," said Amy McGovern, owner of Ivy League Preschool, urging a flat payment rate to outside providers and more predictable budgeting. Multiple parents, including Dr. Kate Esmezar and Dr. Roxanne Zpri, said they would have ranked providers differently if out-of-class fees had been published earlier.

Administrators and board members described practical limits and timing constraints. Superintendent Terry Dade said registration and residency verification continue through May and that families often decline late-offered placements; he cautioned that seats offered late in the summer may be refused by families already settled with other programs. Dade noted, "Registration closes ... in mid May" and that the district typically sees more certainty in October when final enrollments stabilize.

Board action and next steps: After discussion, board members signaled majority support for adding 20 UPK seats and asked administrators to build that figure into the budget the board will adopt on April 24. The board did not take a formal roll-call vote on the floor to record exact tallies for that instruction; the decision was captured as a majority direction to administration in the work-session discussion.

Budget and provider risk: Board members and providers noted a trade-off: providers make business decisions based on an expected number of district-sponsored seats, and if the district later fails to fill promised seats, providers could be left with unfilled capacity. Terry Dade said the district pays only for actual students placed, but that the district attempts to guarantee full Cornwall classes when possible. Several board members asked administration to confirm with prospective UPK providers whether they would accept fewer paid slots if not all seats filled and to report back to the board before final budget adoption.

What to watch: The board will vote to adopt the budget April 24; the district’s public budget hearing is May 6 and the public vote in May (date on calendar). Administrators said they will return with updated provider responses and enrollment projections during the next budget review so the board can confirm how the 20-seat instruction will be funded.

Ending: Several parents thanked the board for the discussion and for placing additional UPK seats on the budget agenda. The board did not adopt a final, binding contract with any provider at the work session; the budget language and any provider agreements will be finalized in the coming weeks.