Goshen board keeps 54 in-house UPK seats and will run a lottery, board says
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Summary
With 74 UPK registrants and uncertainty over state aid, the board agreed to hold to 54 in-house UPK seats, create a waitlist for 24 additional applicants, and proceed with a lottery and provider contract while awaiting final state funding figures.
GOSHEN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT — Dr. Carter, the districtassistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction, personnel and technology, told the board on Feb. 9 that universal prekindergarten (UPK) registration closed with 74 applicants and that the district has a proposal for 54 in-house seats and a secondary provider option for up to 54 additional seats.
Dr. Carter said the governors budget proposal to increase UPK funding to $10,000 per pupil could alter the districts cost responsibility and make expansion feasible. “If we were to receive $10,000 per pupil, that would more than cover the proposed cost from the provider as it stands today,” Dr. Carter said.
Board direction: members favored maintaining the current 54 in-house seats for now and establishing a waitlist (Dr. Carter said the recommended waitlist size is 24) while the district monitors final state aid numbers. The administration said it will put together a lottery (the district ran a lottery Jan. 28 in the prior year), prepare a contract with the provider if expansion is chosen, and present documents for signatures and approval.
Context and numbers: Dr. Carter said the district currently receives roughly $5,700 per UPK pupil under prior allocations and reported last years applicant pool was 110. District officials noted the need to balance fiscal constraints with program continuity and recommended moving cautiously until the state budget and final per-pupil allocations are confirmed.
Next steps: the district will run the lottery to secure slots, create a waitlist for additional applicants and return to the board for any contract approvals if expansion proceeds.