BCSD selects students for first universal pre-K class

The lottery (l-r); PTSA president Paula Liucci and Board of Education Member Marjorie Vandenberg, Coordinator of Professional Development Robin Masling; Ginther School Principal Ann Sweeting and UPK Coordinator Michelle Turner (drawing the numbers). Also in attendance were Reenie Stedman, director of St. John's Day Care; Sandra Gilbert, UPK advisory team member; Kathy Gaffney, teacher and director of St. John's Preschool.

BCSD selects students for first universal pre-K class

The Brockport Central School District received 80 applications for its new Universal Pre-Kindergarten program. A lottery was held to select 33 students for the grant-funded program.

"We received a high interest in the program ever since we publicized the possibility of the grant," said Michelle Turner, universal pre-kindergarten coordinator. "Once we received the grant from the State Education Department, numerous newspaper and website articles, letters from the registrar to all eligible students and the PTSA helped to get the word out. We would have liked to place all the students, but unfortunately we received limited funding from the state."

Brockport Board of Education member Marjorie Vanderberg, PTSA President Paula Liucci, who are also members of the universal pre-kindergarten advisory board, along with representatives from an area private school witnessed the drawing. All applicants were assigned a number and those numbers were put into a bag. Once the cards were drawn, they were given a number in the order they were selected and then logged into a database. Registration packets were sent out to the families of the 33 children selected. The remaining applicants were put on a waiting list and those families received a letter with their waiting list status.