All Day Pre-K comes to White Plains Public Schools. Procedure to enroll for fall not in place because state is late announcing it.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. August 19, 2014:

Assisistant Superintendent for Business for White Plains Schools Fred Seiler told WPCNR Tuesday morning   the $1.073 million announced by Governer Andrew M. Cuomo to fund White Plains All-Day Pre-Kindergarten programs yesterday would enable White Plains to expand its privately provided present 2-1/2 hour a day Pre-K program for 300 students to a full day of 5 to 6 hours.

An enrollment procedure and an expansion of enrollment for those already in the program has not been finalized yet.

Seiler said the district is working with four or five private providers to see if more  parents with children could be added to the programs on a full day basis, and how many parents with children not in Pre-K (because they need all-day day care) could be added to the programs (given present staffing).

The largest provider of Pre-K for the City Schools is Family Services of Westchester, which White Plains pays for. Seiler said the expanded day care would not cost White Plains more because of the awarding of the state grant.

Seiler said the district had applied for the state grant, but notice of the grant has come from the state 3 to 4 weeks later than expected.

At this time, a procedure of how new applicants would be added to the program has not been determined, Seiler said.

According to Governor’s office news release Monday, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced  the recipients of $340 million (including the $1.073 Million for White Plains City School District)  in full-day pre-kindergarten funding for 81 school districts and Community Based Organizations statewide, opening full-day classroom slots to nearly 37,000 children. The funding, included in the 2014-15 State Budget, is the first installment as part of the State’s commitment to invest $1.5 billion over five years to build a Statewide Universal Full-Day Pre-Kindergarten program. The State’s full-day pre-kindergarten program is designed to incentivize innovation and encourage creativity through competition.

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