Universal Pre-Kindergarten
March 2026
Dear Parent(s) and Guardian(s):
In anticipation of New York State Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) grant funding of $10,000 per student, the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District is preparing to provide tuition free access to a 5-hour UPK program for the 2026-2027 school year. Based on our grant allocation, 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 awarded to serve as our UPK providers. To be eligible for this opportunity, a student must be a district resident who will turn four years of age on or before December 1, 2026. Any student turning 5 on or before December 1, 2026 is not eligible for this program and should contact the registration office for information about Kindergarten registration. Application must be completed by April 27, 2026.
The Board of Education is excited to offer this program to 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 and emotional growth, and gross and fine motor skill development. This program will run for the entire 2026-2027 school year, following the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District academic calendar. Transportation is not provided to any of the UPK locations.
If your child is not selected in the lottery to one of the 72 seats, they will be placed on a waiting list in the order of lottery selection and families will be notified if openings become available. The lottery will take place at noon on April 30, 2026. (Live link will be placed here)
Please see below for answers to frequently asked questions. For further information or if you have additional 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 funding for UPK at $10,000 per seat, this program will not run.
Gerard W. Poole
Superintendent of Schools
Frequently Asked Questions
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Eligible students must be district residents and turn 4 years of age on or before December 1, 2026. Any student turning 5 on or before December 1, 2026 is not eligible for the UPK program, however the district should be contacted for Kindergarten enrollment.
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Lottery application submission closes at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, April 27, 2026. The lottery will be livestreamed at 12:00 PM on Thursday, April 30, 2026. (livestream link will be placed here)
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Once your lottery application is submitted, you will receive a pop-up notification confirming that your application was received. Once the application deadline is reached and the form is closed, you will receive an email with your child's assigned lottery number. The lottery number is based on the order in which the application was received.
The lottery will take place at 12:00 PM on April 30, 2026 and will be livestreamed. (Livestream link will be placed here)
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Section 3602-e of Education Law requires that all districts have a lottery selection process in place if there are more applicants than there are seats available.
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A lottery drawing will be livestreamed on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 12:00 PM. After the lottery, applicants will be emailed as to whether their child was selected for UPK and the location of their program. Those not selected will also be contacted by email and will be placed on a waiting list.
Livestream link will be added here
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The Shoreham-Wading River School District used a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to identify eligible local Pre-K programs. Section 151-1.6 of the Commissioner’s Regulations outlines the process for issuing an RFP, as well as the criteria for selecting which eligible agency or agencies will receive funding from the District to provide the UPK program.
Saint Anselm's Academy of Shoreham, St. David’s School of Riverhead, and Kiddie Academy of Wading River were selected through this evaluation process to provide UPK programs for the District. Saint Anselm's Academy will offer 36 seats, while St. David’s School and Kiddie Academy will each offer 18 seats.
Kiddie Academy of Wading River
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School Hours
Kiddie Academy 9:15 AM – 2:15 PM
St. Anselm’s 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
St. David’s 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
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The District will cover the entire tuition through state grant funds should your child be selected for the program. The UPK vendor will provide snack. Parents/guardians provide lunch.
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Yes. Parents/Guardians are required to transport their child to and from school. The district is not required to transport pre-kindergarten students as outlined in Education Law Section 3635(g).
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Yes, each of the vendors will schedule parent-teacher conferences to discuss your child's progress.
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Commissioner’s Regulations 151-1.3(e) outlines the qualifications for teachers providing instruction in UPK classrooms or in eligible agencies. Teachers must hold a teaching license or certificate valid for service in the early childhood grades pursuant to Part 80 of this Title. All teachers in this program hold these certifications.
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Education Law 3602-e and Commissioner’s Regulations Subpart 151-1 (8 NYCRR 151-1) oversee all state-administered universal pre-kindergarten programs in New York.
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Please visit the provider websites for information regarding before and after care.
Kiddie Academy of Wading River