LI pre-K: Millions unspent as parents seek slots

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Daily Point

Districts use it or lose it for prekindergarten

While Long Island families enter universal prekindergarten (UPK) lottery season this spring hoping for a spot, district spending shows the Island’s school districts left unused nearly $27 million that was allocated for the 2024-25 school year to expand access to the highly-sought seats for 4-year-olds.

Lack of space and the need to supplement the state funding allocation with district funds are the top reasons why this money remains unspent and routed back to the state, says Robert Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association. The Association calculated that in the 2023-24 school year, Nassau County districts left 27% of the allocations unspent or $21 million, and Suffolk County districts left 20% unspent or $15 million.

UPK enrollment is growing, but it’s not nearly universal in Nassau and Suffolk. In the 2023-24 school year, 63% of eligible 4-year-olds on LI got spots, up from 58% in 2022-23 and up from 31% in 2020. Of the 10 regions across the state, however, Long Island still lands in the bottom three for the percentage of 4-year-olds who get to enroll, according to the Office of Early Learning of the New York State Education Department. Figures for this school year, 2024-25, will be released in the fall. New York City’s program is funded differently and had a much higher 93% enrollment in 2023-24.

Strings attached to how districts can use UPK dollars force many districts to leave the money on the table.

"It's very prescriptive in what you can do, how you can use it. And if you can't use it, then you lose it," Vecchio said. "We've been calling for greater flexibility." NSSBA has contacted legislators advocating to loosen the mandates and allow districts to use the funding for capital projects, like converting spaces, and other uses, such as providing busing.

"We had that funding available to educate more kids," South Huntington Superintendent Vito M. D'Elia told Newsday in December. "Last year, we gave back about $900,000 because ... we never utilized it."

— Amanda Fiscina-Wells amanda.fiscina-wells@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Abuse all right

For more cartoons, visit www.newsday.com/250301nationalcartoons

Reference Point

Women at war

The United States was deep into World War II when Congress considered a bill to allow women to be drafted into the armed forces. Testimony from women opposing the legislation grabbed the attention of Newsday’s editorial board, which supported the measure.

In a piece called "The Ladies," published on March 27, 1943, the board criticized comments from Quaker pacifist Mildred Scott Olmstead, who told lawmakers, "It would be better for the future of our people if the war went on for a year longer than that our women should be forced to become part of an industrial system that will throw them out when the war ends ..."

The board labeled her remarks "extraordinary," writing, "Fortunately, Mrs. Olmstead does not represent the opinion of the majority of women in this country or the war effort would suffer a serious setback."

As evidence, the board cited 13 women honored that week in Hempstead for their efforts supporting the war. The board commended their "high patriotism" in doing things like raising carrier pigeons for the Army, selling war bonds, flying for the Civilian Air Patrol, and becoming sheet metal workers, aircraft spotters and nurse’s aides.

The bill in Congress eventually failed but women nevertheless made a significant mark via military service in World War II. Nearly 350,000 women served in what became known as the Women’s Army Corps, the Navy Women’s Reserve, and several other service branches. They drove trucks, repaired airplanes, and worked as radio operators, test pilots, lab technicians and nurses, among other jobs. According to the National World War II Museum, 16 women in the Army Nurse Corps were killed by direct enemy fire, 68 servicewomen were captured in the Philippines as POWs, and 565 WACs won combat decorations in the Pacific Theater.

In supporting the conscription bill, Newsday’s board recalled Secretary of War Henry Stimson’s remark that "a total mobilization of our man and woman power is essential to win the war."

"If this is so, we believe that the ladies will be willing to carry their share of the burden," the board wrote. "This is a people’s war, and aren’t women people too?"

It was probably an unsurprising position for Newsday to take, since its founder and de facto editorial page editor was a woman, Alicia Patterson.

— Michael Dobie michael.dobie@newsday.com

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