Universal PreK (UPK) is a free, state- and federally funded program that gives children the chance to attend prekindergarten before starting kindergarten. It helps children build early learning skills, socialize with peers, and get ready for school. The North Syracuse Central School District offers UPK in a variety of Community Based preschools and daycares as well as at the North Syracuse Early Education Program, which is a district run inclusive preschool. 

The program is open to children who are in their 4-year-old year and are residents of the North Syracuse Central School District. 

All Universal PreK (UPK) programs that partner with the North Syracuse Central School District follow the New York State Pre-Kindergarten Learning Standards and use the following high-quality curricula:

• Amplify CKLA – English Language Arts
  
  

• Heggerty – Phonemic Awareness Program
  
  

• Eureka Math² – Mathematics
  
  

• Second Step – Social and Emotional Learning
  
  

Our UPK classrooms provide engaging, play-based learning experiences that support each child’s growth and development. Students participate in a mix of small-group, large-group, and hands-on activities designed to build early literacy, math and social skills.

Each day includes time for active play—running, jumping and climbing in the gym or on the playground—as well as opportunities to practice social skills during shared snack and lunch times. Through these experiences, children learn important skills such as taking turns, following directions, making choices in play, listening and speaking and being kind friends.

Universal PreK helps children understand how school works and builds a strong foundation for success in kindergarten and beyond!

For more information about New York State’s Universal Prekindergarten Program requirements, please visit the NYS Office of Early Learning.

No, Universal PreK is free for families! It is funded by the New York State Department of Education and overseen by the North Syracuse Central School District. Some UPK sites offer before- and after-school childcare, often called wrap-around care, which does have an additional fee.

Your child can attend UPK if they turn 4 on or before December 1 of the year they start. For the 2026–2027 school year, that means children born between December 2, 2021, and December 1, 2022. Your child also needs to live in the North Syracuse Central School District. 

The North Syracuse Central School District works with the North Syracuse Early Education Program and local community organizations to offer Universal PreK (UPK) for families. The UPK Program locations include:

• North Syracuse Early Education Program

• BrightPath Cicero (Formerly Learn as You Grow)

• BrightPath North Syracuse (Formerly Learn as You Grow)

• Northminster Early Childhood Center

• North Area YMCA

• YMCA program at Allen Road Elementary School

• PEACE Inc. Head Start at Roxboro Road Elementary School

Click here for more information about each UPK site

The NSCSD Universal PreK program is offered in either a full-day option (5.5–6 hours) or a half-day option (2.5 hours), five days a week, and follows the NSCSD school calendar. The New York State UPK grant requires that children attend school regularly, except when they are sick or have important family needs.

Suppose you are looking for a part-time preschool experience. In that case, we would like to encourage you to explore the many tuition-based programs available in our community, as the UPK program cannot offer part-time schedules.

You can find the current NSCSD School Calendar here. Calendars for the following school year are typically approved by the Board of Education in March or April.

Yes! Children with an IEP can attend UPK. The Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) works with families to find the preschool setting that best supports each child’s needs.

• If your child receives only related services (such as speech, occupational, physical, or feeding therapy, or support from a Teacher of the Deaf/HOH or Teacher of the Blind/Visually Impaired) but does not need a special education teacher, they can attend UPK. Your child's therapist will provide support in the classroom according to the IEP.

• If your child receives support from a Special Education Itinerant Teacher, they can attend UPK. The special education teacher will work with your child and the classroom teacher to support learning in the UPK classroom.

• If the CPSE has determined that your child qualifies for a Special Class in an Integrated Setting (SCIS), they will place your child in a preschool program designed to meet their developmental needs. These classrooms include full-time special education teachers, therapists, and certified teaching assistants. Families do not need to register for UPK if the CPSE has already determined this placement. Local SCIS programs include the North Syracuse Early Education Program, Jowonio, Little Lukes, Park Hill, and Elmcrest.

For questions about your child’s IEP or the best placement, please contact the CPSE Office at (315) 218-2216.

Yes! Once your child turns 4, they are eligible to ride the school bus to their nearest elementary school with the elementary school students in your neighborhood, and then on to UPK. Your child must attend the UPK program located within your home or sitter’s elementary school zone.

You can find your child’s attendance zone by checking the Home School Listing here.

Please note: Transportation is NOT provided to the North Syracuse Early Education Program.

All students must be 4 years old to ride the bus. If your child is not 4, please call Transportation (315-218-2107) one week before their birthday and we will set up bussing.

The North Syracuse Central School District does not offer a UPK program for 3-year-olds at this time. Children must turn 4 in the year they enroll in UPK.

However, the North Syracuse Early Education Program provides a tuition-based preschool program for 3-year-olds. For more information, please call (315) 218-2222.

There are also many wonderful community-based preschool options—both part-time and full-time—for a fee. If your family needs financial assistance, PEACE Inc. Head Start offers a preschool program for eligible 3-year-old children.

If you decide not to register your child for UPK this year, they will not be able to enroll in UPK the following year. New York State allows children to participate in UPK only if they are four years old on or before December 1 of the school year they attend. Because of this rule, children are only eligible for one year of UPK before moving on to kindergarten.

No. Children are eligible for UPK for only one year. A child can attend UPK if they turn 4 on or before December 1 of the school year, or if they would be first eligible for kindergarten the following year.

After UPK, families can choose to enroll their child in a private prekindergarten program or provide home instruction rather than sending them to public kindergarten. In New York State, children must start school by age 6 (by December 1 of the school year). If a child turns 6 on or after December 1, they start school the following September.

If you’re worried that your preschooler might be struggling with speech, learning, behavior or social skills, you don’t have to wait and see what happens—you can ask for help. In New York State, families can request a special education evaluation through their local school district’s Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) for children ages 3 to 5.

This evaluation looks at how your child is developing and whether they might benefit from extra support or services—like speech therapy, occupational therapy or special education instruction—to help them grow and learn.

Here’s how to start: Call or email the North Syracuse Central School District Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) office. Explain that you’re concerned about your child’s development and would like to request an evaluation. They will walk you through the referral process and send you paperwork in the mail to sign to consent to an evaluation for your child.

Families often request evaluations if their child:

• Isn’t talking or communicating as expected for their age
  
  

• Has trouble with fine motor skills (like holding crayons) or gross motor skills (like running or climbing)
  
  

• Struggles with learning new skills or paying attention
  
  

• Has a hard time playing with other children or managing emotions
  
  

• Has medical or developmental challenges that affect learning
  
  

To start the evaluation process or to ask any questions, please contact the North Syracuse Central School District CPSE office at (315) 218-2216, or email the IEP Coordinator, Nicole Kowanes, at NKowanes@nscsd.org. 

If your child is younger than 3 and you are concerned about his or her development, contact the Onondaga County Early Intervention Program at 315-435-3230 to speak with the Special Children Services Intake Coordinator. 

You will need to register your child with the North Syracuse Central School District. Visit the 'Registration' tab above to learn all about how to register your child!

Universal Pre-K (UPK) is a free preschool program funded by New York State for 4-year-olds. Since there are usually more families interested than there are available spots, many school districts use a lottery system to decide which children can enroll.

Here’s how the process works in the North Syracuse Central School District:

1. Apply during the open enrollment period.

The North Syracuse Central School District’s open enrollment period for the 2026–2027 school year will be open from January 12, 2026, to February 9, 2026.

To be included in the UPK lottery, families need to submit their application and all required documents to the registration office no sooner than January 12, 2026 and no later than February 9, 2026.

If any documents are missing, your child’s application can’t be entered into the lottery, so be sure to double-check that everything is turned in before the deadline!

2. All eligible children are entered into the lottery.
   The lottery is a random selection process—it doesn’t depend on income, when you apply (as long as it’s before the deadline), or your child’s abilities.

3. Names are drawn to fill available UPK spots.
   After the lottery is held, the district will contact families whose children were selected and let them know which UPK location their child will attend.

• If your child needs transportation, they’ll be placed at a site within your home or babysitter’s attendance zone.

• If you don’t need transportation, your child will be placed at their first, second, or third choice location, depending on what’s available when their lottery number is drawn.

4. A waitlist is created.
   If your child isn’t selected in the first round, don’t worry—you’ll usually be placed on a waitlist. Families are often offered spots later as openings come up.
   
   

The goal of the lottery is to make the process fair and equal for all families, since the state funds only a certain number of UPK seats in each district.

Yes, if you’re able to provide your own transportation to and from UPK, you may request your preferred sites during registration.

After the initial lottery registration period ends, all students receive a random lottery number. Students are placed in their first-choice location until that site is full. If space is not available, they will be placed in their second or third choice, if those sites have openings. Please note that some UPK sites have fewer classes or smaller class sizes, so first-choice placements cannot be guaranteed.

If your child will need bus transportation once they turn 4, they will be placed in the UPK location that serves your elementary school attendance zone.

If you do not complete the UPK site selection page during registration, your child will automatically be placed in the UPK program associated with your attendance zone, as long as space is available.

You can review attendance zones by looking up your home or sitter’s address here: NSCSD Home School Listing

If you register your child during the UPK lottery window (January 12–February 9 for the 2026–2027 school year), you’ll receive a letter in the mail in mid- to late March letting you know which UPK site your child has been placed in.

If you register for the current school year or after the lottery window, someone from the UPK office will call or email you to confirm that we received your registration and to let you know if there are any available openings.

If you receive your placement letter after the lottery and the assigned site doesn’t work for your family, please call the Universal Pre-K office at 315-218-2056. We can talk through what other locations may still have openings. We always try to place children in their first-choice site, but some locations have limited spots and fill quickly. If your child is placed in your second or third choice, they will stay on the waitlist for your first choice.

If your child needs transportation, they will automatically be placed at a UPK site within your home attendance zone.

Yes. The district needs updated information for UPK registration, including current health documents, your UPK site preferences, and proof of residency. Without completing this new registration, the Registration Office will not know that you want your child included in the UPK lottery.

If you are registering online, please sign in as a new user. Using your past account will not notify the Registration Office that updates were made.