Daily Point

Pre-K politics

Nassau and Suffolk school districts are high scoring in many categories, but they are underperforming in one key metric.

In the 2024-25 school year, 65.9% of eligible 4-year-olds on Long Island got state-funded pre-K spots, below the statewide average of 74.6%, according to recently released numbers from the state Education Department's Office of Early Learning. This landed LI in the bottom five of the state's 10 regions. In comparison, 90% of New York City 4-year-olds were enrolled in state programs last school year, followed by Western New York at 72%. Below Long Island are the Capital District at 54% and the Hudson Valley at 57.6%.

While enrollment of 4-year-olds is growing, pre-K is not nearly universal on Long Island. In the 2023-24 school year, 63% of e

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