Prekindergarten (PreK)

About

Prekindergarten (preK) is a New York State funded program designed for 4-year-olds, not eligible for kindergarten. Each year Webster CSD invites eligible children who reside in the district to apply.

We look forward to welcoming new preK students, the future class of 2040! To be eligible for the 2026-2027 school year, children must have a birth date falling between 12/2/21 - 12/1/22. Please understand that these dates are fixed, and we are unable to make any exceptions. If you have questions about your child’s age and eligibility for preK, please utilize our school age calculator.

Webster CSD is pleased to offer our community multiple options for preK, including full-day (five hours) and half-day (2.5 hours) programs. Transportation is not part of this state-funded program and must be provided by the family. Linked here is a list of frequently asked questions from New York State.

For the 2026-2027 school year, we are offering the following options: 

• Full-day program (M-F, 5 hours/day) housed in all seven of Webster CSD's elementary schools and both Webster Schroeder and Webster Thomas high schools.
• Full-day with wrap care provided with our community based childcare partners (Busy Blossoms, Expressive Beginnings, Kids First, Bay View YMCA). Wrap-around care is a Monday-Friday commitment outside of the 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. preK day and will have a cost to the family, set by the facility.
• Half-day program (M-F, 2.5 hours/day) with our community based partner STARS preschool.

Lottery registration for the 2026-2027 school year will take place from February 13- March 13. Applications submitted after this time will be placed on the waitlist. After the lottery closes, families will be notified if they were accepted into the program or placed on the waitlist. In May, we host a required play-based screening and family orientation for incoming students. Specific sites' placement notifications will not go out until after that time, in mid-late June. We do our best to accommodate family needs, but we cannot guarantee specific site placement requests. Placement locations are determined by the lottery and according to the child’s home catchment for kindergarten.

Our preK program operates five days a week (Monday through Friday) and follows the Webster CSD School Calendar. When Webster K-5 students have a day off, preK students do not attend school.

Our dedicated teachers utilize a play-based curriculum to build essential social and emotional foundations. A key focus is on developing strong communication skills, ensuring every student can confidently find their voice, setting them up for success as they transition to kindergarten the following year!