Middle Country board hears update on Universal Pre-K program as district approves UPK contract amendment

Ms. Cheriel, presenting on behalf of the district, told the Board of Education that Middle Country's Universal Pre-K program provides "high quality early learning opportunities" and described the program's structure, history and funding.

The district said UPK traces its funded history to the mid-2000s and that the program has served more than 10,823 students since inception. Ms. Cheriel said the program currently serves 476 students districtwide through a mix of district classrooms and community-based organizations, and reported that 370 students were fully registered for the coming September at the time of the presentation.

The presenter outlined program design and staffing limits required by the grant: classrooms are capped at 18 students and each classroom is staffed by a New York State-certified teacher, one teaching assistant and one monitor, she said. Ms. Cheriel also described outreach and registration efforts, saying the district mails an annual UPK postcard to about 9,600 families and coordinates a two-week centralized registration window with Central Registration at the Middle Country Public Library.

On finances, Ms. Cheriel reported projected funding for the 2025'26 school year of roughly $3.88 million in grant funding plus $2.2 million from the general fund, a total of just over $6.1 million. She said preliminary projections for 2026'27 show an increase in grant funding to approximately $4.65 million with a reduced general-fund contribution, yielding a program cost a little over $6.2 million. "Because of your support, Middle Country is proud to be one of the first truly universal Pre K programs in New York State, providing opportunity and access for all children free of cost," Ms. Cheriel said.

After the presentation the board moved and carried a consent item described in the agenda as "2605 SR-4 Universal Pre K contract amendment 2025-2026." Speaker 19 moved the motion and Speaker 25 seconded; the motion was recorded as carried by the chair. The amendment was presented as a funding/contract item supporting the UPK program; no contract number was specified on the record.

The presentation closed with a short video of UPK students describing what they like about preschool and what they look forward to in kindergarten. Several board members thanked staff and parents for the work that supports early childhood programs. The meeting proceeded to routine business items after the UPK update.