Dear Parent(s) and Guardian(s):

In anticipation of New York State Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) grant funding of $10,000 per student for the 2026–27 school year, the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District is preparing to offer tuition-free access to a five-hour UPK program for the 2026–2027 school year. Based on available seats from local providers, we are able to offer this opportunity to up to 72 eligible students chosen by lottery. St. Anselm's Academy of Shoreham, Saint David's School of Riverhead, and Kiddie Academy of Wading River have been selected to serve as our UPK providers.

To be eligible, a student must be a district resident who will turn four years of age on or before December 1, 2026. Any student turning five on or before December 1, 2026 is not eligible for this program and should contact the registration office for information about Kindergarten registration. The UPK lottery application must be completed by April 27, 2026.
The Board of Education is excited to offer this program to our families. These partnerships will provide children with rich and varied early learning experiences that foster Kindergarten readiness through the development of language and literacy skills, social-emotional growth, and gross and fine motor skills. This program will run for the full 2026–2027 school year, following the district's academic calendar. Please note that transportation is not provided to any of the UPK locations.

If your child is not selected in the lottery, they will be placed on a waiting list in order of lottery selection, and families will be notified if openings become available. The lottery will take place at noon on April 30, 2026.

When completing the lottery application, families will be asked to rank their preferred UPK location (1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice). There are 18 seats available at Kiddie Academy, 36 seats at Saint Anselm's, and 18 seats at Saint David's. When a family's number is drawn, they will be assigned to their 1st choice location if seats are still available. If not, they will be placed at their 2nd choice, and then their 3rd choice if needed.

Saint David's School in Riverhead is hosting an open house on Monday, April 13 from 3:45–4:45 p.m. for families interested in visiting before submitting their lottery application.

A UPK page is now available on our website at swrschools.org/upk  and includes additional information, the lottery registration form, and FAQs. For further questions, please call 631-821-8123 or email UPK-program@swr.k12.ny.us

Please note that if the NYS adopted budget does not include UPK funding at $10,000 per seat as currently proposed, this program will not run.