Pre-K lottery open for 96 students

The Baldwin School District has contracted with Just Kids Early Childhood Learning Center, under Cam-Held Enterprises Inc., as its universal pre-K provider, Superintendent Dr. Shari Camhi announced at the Aug. 4 Board of Education meeting.

Universal pre-K is made possible in the district through the New York State Universal Pre-K Expansion Funding initiative. New York state allocated nearly $550,000 for the Baldwin District, or $5,704 per student for 96 slots, to alleviate childcare and schooling costs for Baldwin families.

A lottery will determine entry into the program, which will be announced Aug. 20. Parents can go to the district website to fill out an application or call Just Kids at (516) 377-4200 before the Aug. 19 deadline.

To qualify for universal pre-K, students must turn 4 years old by Dec. 1 and be Baldwin School District residents. Participation is voluntary.

If selected, students’ parents would need to register for Just Kids by providing more information, including proof of residency for the 2021-22 school year.

The pre-K program’s first day of school is scheduled for Sept. 1; however, the start date is contingent on final New York State Office of Child and Family Services approval. Just Kids is located at the former Millburn School, 2501 Millburn Ave., and school days will run from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The district is no stranger to Just Kids. The program has leased the Millburn School since 2015, after it closed in 2014. Just Kids is a Suffolk County-based, state-authorized, for-profit preschool and special-education provider. It also offers programs in Hampton Bays, Cutchogue, Middle Island, Lindenhurst, the William Floyd School District and Far Rockaway.

For more information on Just Kids, go to justkidsschool.com or call (516) 377-4200.