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Universal Pre-K

The Williamsville Central School District’s Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) Program is a developmentally appropriate, learner-centered educational program to help four-year old children develop physically, socially, emotionally, linguistically, culturally, and intellectually. The program has a strong emphasis on early literacy and early numeracy aligned with the New York State Pre-K curriculum as well as science, social studies, and social-emotional learning.

Process for 2026-2027 School Year

Please note that the process has changed for the upcoming school year. Please carefully read all the information below.

Children who will be four years of age by December 1, 2026 and reside in the Williamsville Central School District are eligible for the 2026-2027 Universal Prekindergarten Program. Parents and guardians interested in having their eligible four-year-old child considered must register their child as a NEW student of the Williamsville Central School District. The online UPK registration link is below. 

Important Eligibility Information

  • Parents/guardians are encouraged to complete registration as soon as possible if interested in participating in this year’s random, digitized lottery. The deadline to complete all registration documents is February 23, 2026. Registrations completed after this date, or registrations completed prior to this date that are determined to be inaccurate or incomplete will not be included in the lottery. These students will be added to our waitlist following the lottery.

  • Parents/guardians will receive an email notification on a rolling basis, and no later than the end of February, letting them know the status of their registration as well as any additional information about the lottery or waitlist, if applicable.

  • Please note that registering as a new student of the Williamsville Central School District does not guarantee participation in this year’s lottery. All of the following criteria must be met and verified by February 23, 2026, to participate:

    • Child meets all eligibility requirements

    • Registration is completed by the deadline and contains all required documents and documentation

    • A valid email is provided during the registration process

  • UPK is a New York State and federally funded grant program that is offered to eligible children free of charge. The total number of students selected in any given year is predicated upon the availability of funding. If there are more applicants than available spaces, all names will be entered into a random, digitized lottery process to offer a student placement in the program. This year, the lottery is planned to occur in March. The District cannot guarantee that a child will be selected to participate in the UPK program or if selected, that a specific location can be provided. Students who are not selected for the UPK program via the lottery process will be added to a waitlist.

Please note: Each link to the registration form is unique. DO NOT share this link with others - it will allow them to overwrite your registration.

Important Location Information

A student smiles during UPK class.

In compliance with NYS regulations, a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to determine community-based organization (CBO) locations must occur.

As a result, this year’s UPK locations have not yet been determined and may not be determined prior to this year’s lottery.

The District cannot guarantee that families offered a placement in the UPK program will be offered a choice of location.

 

Important Dates for the 2026-2027 School Year

Date and Year Child will Be four-years old: New student registration deadline: Parents will receive email confirmation on a rolling basis no later than: Random, digitized lottery: Parent notification of lottery results:
December 1, 2026 February 23, 2026 February 27, 2026 March 2026 No later than the end of March 2026

UPK students are considered new entrants to the Williamsville Central School District and must meet the following program requirements as articulated by New York State and WCSD:

  • Students must attend their UPK program 5-hours per day, 5-days a week, for the entire 180-day school year.
  • Students must meet the expectation to arrive on time, and stay for the entire duration of the school day.
  • Transportation to and from the program is the responsibility of the parent/guardian.
  • Students must meet NYS immunization and mandated health requirements.

For questions or more information about the program, please email upk@williamsvillek12.org, or contact the Office of Instruction at 716-626-8086.

UPK Information and Health Forms