Dear Putnam Valley Community:
We are excited to share the news that the Putnam Valley Central School District will begin offering Universal Pre-K in September, in partnership with the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester. A few weeks ago, the YMCA submitted a Request For Proposal to provide a program that meets the requirements of the available New York State Pre-K grant. This grant fully funds the program for a limited number of four-year-old students, making it free for families and without impacting taxpayers.
The YMCA currently runs Pre-K programs in several districts in our region, and classrooms will be staffed by certified teachers and teaching assistants employed by the YMCA. Transportation for Pre-K students is the responsibility of the parents. While the program is entirely funded by New York State, the District maintains responsibility over its operations and will meet regularly with the Pre-K staff and administration from the YMCA.
The program will utilize Scholastic’s Pre-K On My Way curriculum, enhanced with Fundations and Heggerty, preparing students for a smooth transition into kindergarten. Pre-K teachers will be provided the opportunity to work alongside our staff during Superintendent’s Conference Days and other professional learning opportunities as deemed appropriate.
To be eligible for the program, students must be 4 years of age on or before December 1, 2025 and reside within the Putnam Valley School District. Students will be selected through a lottery, which will be live-streamed for transparency. The program will be held in the modular building behind Putnam Valley Elementary School and run five hours a day (9:30 am – 2:30 pm), five days a week, following the PVCSD Calendar. Before and after-care will be offered through the YMCA for a fee for those students who are enrolled in the program. Additional information will be provided directly by the YMCA.
Interested families must begin by completing the application form found HERE. The application window will be open until May 30, 2025. The lottery will take place on June 2, 2025, and live-streamed via the pvcsd.orgwebsite. A waitlist will also be selected at that time. Families of those selected by the lottery will have until June 30, 2025, to complete their registration with the Putnam Valley School District.
We recognize the impact early learning has on student success, and Putnam Valley is proud to be able to offer this opportunity for our families. Through this program, we are truly putting children first and foremost and beginning even earlier to build a foundation for the future.
Thank you,
Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools