South Huntington district to offer universal pre-K this fall

Starting next school year, all eligible 4-year-olds in the South Huntington school district who want a seat in the prekindergarten program will be guaranteed a spot.

After approving a reconfiguration plan last summer, district officials are preparing to open the Silas Wood Pre-K Center in the fall. The move will allow all pre-K students, who are currently spread across multiple district buildings, to learn in one centralized location. It will also allow the district to do away with its lottery system.

Superintendent Vito D’Elia said in a statement that "eliminating the lottery system to ensure universal pre-K access to all South Huntington families" has been a primary goal for officials around the district.

"This initiative focuses on the 'whole child' by integrating age-appropriate academics with essential social-emotional play to better prepare students for kindergarten," D’Elia said. "Beyond the educational benefits, the program aims to support local families by removing the financial and logistical burdens of early childhood education during a difficult economic climate."

Demand for pre-K programs, which have been found to benefit children into adulthood, has been rising on Long Island and many schools have waitlists, Newsday has reported.

In Nassau County, 51 of 56 districts have pre-K programs; in Suffolk, 59 of 65 districts offer pre-K, Newsday previously reported.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has been pushing to increase access to universal pre-K statewide. Her latest budget proposal, which must be approved by the State Legislature, would require every school district to offer full-day pre-K to all eligible 4-year-olds by 2028.

Summer renovations

South Huntington's new preschool will be housed in the current Silas Wood Sixth Grade Center, which is to be renovated this summer. District officials said the main goal is to "resize" the first-floor classrooms for younger students as well as build a new playground. The Silas Wood facility once served as an elementary school, officials noted.

The district's sixth graders will move to the former Memorial Junior High School building, which most recently housed the Long Island School for the Gifted.

While no students were wait-listed this year, officials said they have seen increased interest in the district's pre-K program. The district enrolled 202 full-time pre-K students and 15 part-time students for the current school year. In the 2024-25 school year, the district enrolled 126 students, with 62 more wait-listed.

Renee Schumm, who will serve as the principal of the new pre-K center, said the district is expecting more than 300 students to attend in 2026-27. The class will be five hours a day. Following state regulations, she said the class size will be 18 students at most with a teacher and assistant teacher.

Students must be 4 years old by Dec. 1 to enroll.

Schumm was part of a 16-member committee that examined factors such as district spaces, traffic patterns and starting and ending times before providing recommendations for universal pre-K to the school board. 

Schumm said having a dedicated pre-K center will give teachers a greater chance to collaborate.

"Since they are all in one building, there’ll be consistency with scheduling, consistency with curriculum, consistency with ... instruction, providing professional development for teachers," Schumm said.

For the upcoming year, transportation will not be offered for the students, but officials said start and end times will be staggered to help with pick up and arrival.

Among the daily activities, Schumm said there will "play-based" activities and rest time, as well as math and science instruction.

"Pre-K is not just about playtime, it’s about developing social skills and social emotional skills, and leaving home for the first time," she said. "I think what the district is doing is showing a commitment to its youngest residents." 

Registration for the program runs through July 15. Parents can register on the district's website.