The Niskayuna Central School District is offering Universal Pre-K (UPK) for the 2026-27 school year as part of funding from New York state. UPK is a free program open to Niskayuna families with children who will be four years old by Dec. 1, 2026.
What is the Universal Pre-K Program (UPK)?
- Who is eligible for UPK?
- Application for the lottery
- For students selected in the lottery
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program (UPK)?
The New York State Universal Prekindergarten Program (UPK) is funded by the state and our district to provide an educationally based, high quality, developmentally appropriate program to prepare four-year-olds for kindergarten. The UPK Program will run Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will follow the Niskayuna Central School District calendar, with a few exceptions.
For the 2026-27 school year, the district will be partnering with the Schenectady Jewish Community Center (2565 Balltown Road) and TSL Adventures at two locations (1050 Troy-Schenectady Road and 3 Horstman Drive) to offer 66 slots between these three different locations.
Who is eligible for UPK?
All Niskayuna families, even those currently enrolled with the Schenectady JCC or TSL Adventures programs, are eligible to participate in the lottery for NYS-funded spaces. Limited spots are available for the UPK program and they will be filled using a randomized lottery process.
Application for the lottery
All applications for the lottery must be submitted by on May 29, 2026, at 4 p.m.
You must complete this form for your child to be entered in the lottery: LOTTERY ENTRY FORM 2026-27 UPK PROGRAM. If you need help completing the form, please call the Registrar’s Office for assistance at 518-377-4666, x50714.
The lottery drawing will take place on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
For students selected in the lottery
If you are selected in the lottery, you will be notified by June 5, 2026, and must accept or decline by 4 p.m. on June 12, 2026.
Upon accepting a lottery slot, the selected families will have 10 school days to COMPLETE AND SUBMIT TWO REQUIREMENTS.
- A NISKAYUNA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT REGISTRATION PACKET
The checklist here lists the forms and documents to send to the Niskayuna CSD Central Registrar. These can be sent:
-
- By email to:
Central Registrar – Dana Mazzone, dmazzone@niskyschools.org - By U.S. Post to:
Central Registrar – Dana Mazzone
Niskayuna District Office
1430 Balltown Road
Niskayuna, NY 12309 - By dropping off the packet at the Niskayuna District Office
- By email to:
- AN ONLINE SURVEY ABOUT YOUR UPK CHILD. A link to this form will be sent once a spot has been accepted. The information in the form will be shared with the child’s UPK provider – either the Schenectady JCC or TLS Adventures.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the hours of the UPK Program and where will the classes be held?
The UPK Program will run Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will follow the calendar provided by the SJCC/TSL Adventures. For the 2026-27 school year, the district will be partnering with the Schenectady Jewish Community Center (2565 Balltown Road) and TSL Adventures (1050 Troy-Schenectady Road and 3 Horstman Drive) to offer 66 slots between these two different locations.
What activities are involved in the UPK Program?
The NCSD UPK Program will be a play-based program which provides opportunities of all kinds for children to learn through play. Teachers will develop lessons based on the New York State Prekindergarten Learning Standards. The daily schedule will include activities such as Circle Time, Centers and Small Group Activities, Gross Motor Activities, Art, Music, Cooking, Library and Enrichment.
No religious instruction will take place during and/or as part of the UPK Program.
Is wrap-around care available for the hours outside of the UPK schedule?
Both programs offer wrap-around care. Interested families should contact the providers for more information about availability. Costs for wrap around care are the responsibility of the families.
Will transportation be provided?
No transportation is provided for this program. Families are responsible for transportation to and from the UPK Program.
If I fill out the application am I guaranteed a spot for my child?
No. Student placement will be decided using a lottery system. While the district would like to offer the UPK program to every family who applies, it is possible that not all children who apply will get into the program.
How should families with multiple children proceed?
Families with multiple children who meet the criteria for UPK (e.g., twins) should complete one lottery form for each child. We cannot guarantee that multiples or children of the same age in one household will be selected together.
How will families be notified if they are selected?
Each lottery entry will be assigned a random number by a random number generator and the list will then be sorted numerically by the random numbers.
If your child’s name is selected in the lottery, you will be notified by email by June 5, 2026. Further directions about registration etc will be provided with that email.
Your must accept or decline your child’s space by 4:00 p.m. on June 12, 2026.
If you do NOT receive an email by June 5, 2026 that means your child’s name was not pulled in the lottery.
All of the names entered in the lottery will be kept on a list. Sometimes families will choose not to accept a space that is offered to them. If a family declines their spot the open spot will be offered to the next family on the list.
If I decide I do not want to register my child for UPK because they are not ready, can I enroll them in UPK the following year?
No. According to Section 3602-e of Education Law, a child is eligible for UPK when they are four years of age on or before December 1 of the school year in which they are enrolled or will otherwise be first eligible to enter public school kindergarten the following school year. Therefore, a child would only be eligible for UPK for one year.
If I don’t think my child is ready for kindergarten, can I hold them back in UPK?
No. According to Section 3602-e of Education Law, a child is eligible for UPK when they are four years of age on or before December 1 of the school year in which they are enrolled or who will otherwise be first eligible to enter public school kindergarten commencing with the following school year. Therefore, a child would only be eligible for UPK for one year.
However, families can choose to send their child to a private prekindergarten program after attending UPK or deliver home instruction. Per Education Law §3205, the compulsory education age in New York state is six years of age by December 1 .
If a child turns six on or after December 1, compulsory education begins the following September. Please note that NYS Education Law §1709(3) authorizes a school board to determine the placement of each student upon their entry (or reentry) to public school.
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