Parent raises concerns about UPK lottery, district explains state rules and funding limits

A Mount Sinai parent, John Cardino, addressed the board during public comment to ask why his twin sons were treated differently by the district’s Universal Pre‑K (UPK) lottery and where unspent state funds go when seats are not filled.

Cardino said he was “advocating for my son” after one twin was accepted to the UPK program and the other was not. He told the board he was concerned that the district’s website labels the program “universal” while the district also runs a lottery when demand exceeds seats, and he asked where the “extra money” went when historically not all allotted seats were filled.

A district speaker (not fully identified in the transcript) responded: “So the UPK is a very unique program, and it's called universal pre k, not because we call it that. That's what the state calls it.” The speaker said state rules set a maximum of 18 students per UPK classroom and explained that when demand exceeds seats the district must use a lottery to allocate openings "because that's the only way that it's fair to give…