The Valley Central School District Universal Prekindergarten Program offers 4-year-old children the opportunity to access an educational environment that is learner-centered and promotes the use of early literacy and emergent reading instruction based on effective, evidence-based practices. In alignment with New York State Prekindergarten Learning Standards, the program curricula promote balanced support between the development of early childhood social, emotional, motor and cognitive skills. Transportation is not provided. Families must provide transportation for their child.
Frequently asked questions about UPK at Valley Central are answered here.
UPK for the 2025-2026 School Year
- Your first and last name
- Your phone number
- Your child’s first and last name
- Your child’s date of birth
- Your home address
- Your type of residence
- Homeowner
- Rent With Lease
- Rent Without Lease
- Live With District Resident
Waiting List for UPK (2024-2025 School Year)
Email requests must include:
- Your first and last name
- Your phone number
- Your child’s first and last name
- Your child’s date of birth
- Your type of residence
- Homeowner
- Rent With Lease
- Rent Without Lease
- Live With District Resident)
Half-Day, Full-Day and Expanded-Day Offered
The district offers a half-day 2.5-hour program, a full-day 6-hour program and an expanded-day program that includes before and/or aftercare starting as early as 7:00 AM and ending as late as 6:00 PM. Our entire UPK Program is delivered through local collaborating agencies (UPK Providers). UPK Providers are chosen based upon review of their proposals. The proposals are measured by the competitive process set forth by the Commissioners’ regulations 151-1.1 – 1.7.
Half-Day UPK Providers
Full-Day UPK Providers
- Learning Together
- Montgomery Nursery School
- Most Precious Blood School
- School Time Children’s Center
Expanded-Day UPK Providers
UPK is designed to:
- Promote literacy through the use of evidence-based practices
- Promote positive emotional, social, and cognitive skills through collaboration between school and parents
- Provide learner-centered activities to promote children’s growth and development
- Provide a balance between teacher-initiated and child-initiated learning activities in order to encourage student self-confidence and independence
- Provide a balance of individual and small group activities for the children
- Provide activities that support parent participation in their child’s educational plan
- Design an assessment process that determines the developmental baseline and progress of all children
- Provide a nutritional snack to all of the children every day
- Provide support services to children and their families that are necessary to support the child’s transition and participation in the Prekindergarten Program
- Promote differentiated instruction to meet the learning styles of the children
- Maximize the integration of preschool children with disabilities
- Provide equal program access to participating children with limited English proficiency