Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program
Information for the 2025-2026 UPK Program
UPK Registration opens at 8 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2025
Deadline to be included in the lottery: March 7, 2025 at 4 p.m.
Registrations submitted after 4 p.m. on March 7 will be placed on a wait list.
UPK stands for Universal Prekindergarten. UPK is a New York State grant funded program offered to eligible resident children free of charge. It is a developmentally appropriate, play based, learner-centered educational program to support four-year-olds in the five domains developing physically, socially, emotionally, linguistically, culturally and intellectually. The program has a strong emphasis on early literacy, early numeracy aligned with the New York State PreK Curriculum.
Children who will be four years old by December 1, 2025 and who reside in the Amherst Central School District will be eligible to be considered for the UPK program. Your child is only eligible to attend UPK the year they turn four on or before Dec. 1. If your child is turning five on or before Dec. 1, they are eligible for kindergarten, not the UPK program.
If there are more applicants than available spots, a random, digitized lottery will be held to determine acceptance into the UPK program. The lottery is random and not based on a first-come, first-serve list. All registrations received within the window of Feb. 3 - March 7 at 4 p.m. will be included in the lottery. Students who are not selected via the lottery will be placed on a wait list. Registrations received after the March 7 deadline are placed on a wait list.
Please note that your registration does not signify your child’s acceptance into the program and you are not guaranteed a spot. Our program is in high demand in the Amherst CSD community, so please be aware that demand could be higher than available openings and plan accordingly.
Currently Amherst Central School District collaborates with two community-based child care organizations and two district elementary schools to provide the UPK program. The district offers full-day UPK classes at Amherst Community Church Child Care Center (ACCCCC), Smallwood Drive Elementary and Windermere Boulevard Elementary. A morning half-day class is offered at Amherst Nursery School. During registration, parents may indicate a preferred site placement. Please note that a specific site placement cannot be promised.
Busing will be provided to and from all district-run UPK locations. To be eligible for transportation, you must reside within the Amherst CSD boundaries and the child must be four years old. As per NYS guidelines, we cannot transport children who are three years old.
As a result of the program being funded by state grants, definite confirmation will occur only after the New York State budget is passed and Universal Prekindergarten funding is guaranteed.
UPK Registrations are accepted year-round.
Timeline:
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Feb. 3 - March 7, 2025 - Registration window to be included in the lottery. Registrations received after 4 p.m. on March 7 are placed on the wait list.
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March 21, 2025 - All registration residency documents must have been received and verified by district staff.
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March 21, 2025 - All families included in the lottery will receive an email confirmation
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March 26, 2025 - Random, digitized lottery will be held
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March 28, 2025 - Families notified of lottery results
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April 4, 2025 - Families notified of site placement
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August 2025 - Classroom and teacher assignment letters are mailed.
- Where are the UPK locations and hours?
- Is there a cost?
- What Does A Full Day Look Like?
- Is breakfast and lunch provided for my child?
- Does my child have to attend five days a week?
- If my child receives preschool special education services, are they eligible for UPK?