New York State Keeps Buffalo Schools Kindergarten Afloat

In the case of kindergarten, however, district size is beneficial in terms of state financial support, access to community organizations, and the potential to increase district enrollment and improve educational outcomes at long term by involving 4 year old children in the city.

alo Schools is expected to receive one of the largest sums of state money for 2024-25, about $19 million total from multiple grants, for the second year in a row.

State support will allow Buffalo to maintain the progress it has made in recent years, said Kelly A. Baudo, assistant superintendent for curriculum, assessment and instruction for Buffalo schools, but will not necessarily allow develop the program.

“This funding is essential,” stressed Baudo.

“As the second largest school district in New York State, with many of our children from families who meet federal free and reduced lunch guidelines, as superintendent I am absolutely grateful and excited to this opportunity,” said Superintendent Tonja M. Williams. said in a statement last week.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and her predecessor Andrew Cuomo have long prioritized kindergarten in their education reforms, pointing to research that shows better short- and long-term outcomes for students who start school before age 5 years.

Hochul said in 2021 she would invest $970 million in state money, with the goal of enrolling every 4-year-old in the state. More recently, RFPs have encouraged districts to increase enrollment and move from half-day to full-day programming.

Regardless of where the money comes from, it’s welcome in Buffalo. With American Rescue Plan funding expiring, grants are the only way to support pre-kindergarten classes, Baudo said.

This year, Buffalo served 2,135 4-year-olds, including 1,663 in district schools and 472 in partnership with community organizations, according to district data.

The number of eligible 4-year-olds in Buffalo changes each year, as does enrollment. The percentage of eligible 4-year-olds attending kindergarten in Buffalo is between 70% and 90%, according to state data from the two school years preceding the 2023-24 school year. Buffalo must meet reporting requirements to receive full assistance.

Each of the district’s elementary schools has at least two pre-kindergarten classes, with some holding as many as four, Baudo said. Each classroom has a certified teacher and teaching assistant, whose teaching meets state standards. Students participate in small, focused groups, called centers, which may include learning the alphabet, numbers and shapes, as well as play activities.

“It’s really important to get kids working with our teachers, getting used to the school environment and acclimating to the types of learning they’ll be doing in kindergarten,” said Anne Botticelli, chief academic officer. Buffalo Schools. . “It’s an excellent opportunity for us to familiarize children with the school environment, but also to enrich them.”

One difference between pre-kindergarten and kindergarten is where they eat breakfast and lunch.

“The children eat in their classrooms for PUK in a family setting,” Baudo said. “Part of the teaching tasks is to support conversations during these meal times. »

Even amid budget cuts, during which departments in Buffalo’s central office have made surgical changes to programming, Buffalo should be able to maintain the status quo for kindergarten. The focus on integrating 4-year-olds into classrooms aligns with Williams’ three goals, which emphasize gains in math, reading and graduation rates .

“The earlier children are exposed to literacy, writing, vocabulary and math, the better able they will be to achieve these goals,” Williams said. The superintendent added that she believes the development of “social and independent skills” in a 4-year-old will have lifelong value.

The pre-kindergarten registration period coincides with that of elementary schools – register from October to December to attend the following year – but there are some options for late registration depending on space availability, as well as a list of viable wait for the whole year. Pre-kindergarten is free for children aged 4 and transportation is provided.

Buffalo schools currently only serve 4-year-olds in pre-kindergarten. Its options for 3-year-olds are through a growing Little Scholars program, a partnership with Say Yes Buffalo, as well as Bennett Park Montessori.

The education law requires districts to redirect at least 10 percent of their funding to community organizations. Buffalo has had partnerships for more than a decade with Holy Cross Head Start, Westminster Early Childhood Center and Notre Dame Academy; all three were approved by the Buffalo School Board in March as part of the list of partners for next school year.

The Kindergarten Expansion Grant, for which Buffalo received $2.5 million last year and next year, is a competitive bidding process through which districts can request a certain amount of support and advocate for their needs. Buffalo’s current pre-kindergarten options framework played a role in winning the bid, in addition to the district’s plan to use the program to help poor students. According to 2022-23 state data, 84% of students in Buffalo schools are considered economically disadvantaged.

“Grants were awarded based on a district’s plan to serve a community’s neediest schools and students; the level of existing pre-kindergarten services; the extent to which a district planned to maximize the total number of eligible 4-year-olds served in its programs; and other factors,” state Department of Education spokesperson JP O’Hare wrote in a news release earlier this month.

Eight of the 64 districts that will receive part of the $34 million in expansion grants are from Erie and Niagara counties. Starpoint Central Schools — which makes up about a tenth of Buffalo’s overall enrollment — received $1.2 million. According to Superintendent Sean M. Croft, the district is planning a “massive expansion” that will increase its prekindergarten enrollment from 35 half-day spaces to 121 full-day spaces, with the help of community partners.

Hamburg, Frontier, Iroquois, Royalton-Hartland, Springville-Griffith Institute and Lake Shore school districts also received funding from the May expansion grant.