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District staff outline limits and next steps for full-day UPK expansion
Summary
Erin Phillips presented survey results and a cost analysis showing the district’s UPK grant ($980,057) can fund both half- and full-day seats but constrains capacity; parents’ surveys showed sizable interest in keeping half-day options, leading staff to recommend a cautious, phased rollout.
Erin Phillips presented the board with results of an internal investigation into offering full‑day universal prekindergarten (UPK), saying the district’s state UPK grant totals $980,057 and must cover both half‑ and full‑day seats.
"That is the money that I have from the state. That is it. There's not a penny more," Phillips said, explaining the grant funds can support roughly 120.5 full‑time equivalent students and that individual classes are capped at 18 students — a limit that would require a teaching assistant if exceeded. Phillips described one‑time costs (furniture, classroom outfitting) and recurring costs (personnel, food service, transportation) and presented scenarios showing how the budget shifts with more full‑day students.
Phillips described survey work she coordinated with BOCES and component districts and with parents at conferences and on Facebook. All nine component districts responded; 84 parents at conferences completed the survey and, in a separate Facebook outreach, 61 then 39 parents responded. "Of those 84 parents, 46%... would still send their child to 0.5 day UPK even if we had a full day program," she said, noting common reasons: half‑day is viewed as a better transition, full day may be too long for some 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds, and families value the existing routine.
Given those results and facility and staffing constraints, Phillips recommended the district slow‑roll any expansion: maintain the current mix of sections next year, contact families in the 2026–27 cohort for firmer interest numbers, and plan one or two full‑day classrooms as pilots if demand and funding permit. The presentation concluded with board questions about possible BOCES partnerships and long‑term enrollment growth tied to regional economic development.
