THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
Early Learning
P-12 Education
Office of Early Learning
89 Washington Avenue, EB 514 West Mezzanine, Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-5807
To:
Superintendents in School Districts Receiving Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) and/or Statewide Universal Full-Day Prekindergarten (SUFDPK) Funding
From:
Erik Sweet, Executive Director of the Office of Early Learning
Subject:
Field Guidance for 2025 New Law
Date:
May 6, 2024
This memo provides information to help school districts understand how the removal of the state supplement not supplant language from 2024-2025 UPK funding impacts those receiving Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) state-administered allocations and Statewide Universal Full Day Prekindergarten (SUFDPK) grant awards to operate a Prekindergarten (PreK) Program.
The FY 2025 enacted State budget removes the supplement not supplant requirement for State funds, allowing school districts to access their SUFDPK grant awards prior to accessing or even exhausting their UPK allocations.
WHO does this impact?
- Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) with more than one type of state fundingsource for PreK, including UPK state-administered allocations and SUFDPKgrant award(s).
HOW will this benefit us?
- LEAs may choose to access the funding source with the highest per pupil ratesto use first, regardless of when funding was allocated or awarded.
- Funding can be accessed in the order of the LEA’s choosing.
- One funding stream does not need to be exhausted prior to accessing another.
WHEN will this take effect?
- This will be implemented for the 2024-2025 Project Year which runs from July 1,2024 – June 30, 2025.
WHAT will remain unchanged?
- A minimum 10% collaboration requirement is still required.
- LEA’s will need to submit FS-10s for each funding stream being accessed.
- 3-year-old funding and 4-year-old funding may not be comingled.
- UPK or SUFDPK funding may not be used in place of any local or federal funds(e.g., Title 1 funds) already in use to support PreK funding as this is still arequirement under Education Law 3602-e and 3602-ee.
Example #1
Helderburgh CSD - utilizes three funding sources, as follows
- UPK Allocation
- $978,960 to serve 92 FTE 4-year-olds (approx. per pupil $10,640)
- SUFDPK Grant Award
- $935,416 to serve 4-year-olds (per pupil $7k w/ uncertified teacher or $10k w/ certified teacher)
- Local Funds
- $340,000 to serve 36 FTE 4-year-olds (approximately per pupil $9400) to supplement the other half-day of programming awarded through the SUFDPK grant.
In this situation, according to Education Law referenced above, Helderburgh CSD would be required to continue to use local funding in combination with SUFDPK funding to provide full-day services for 4-year-old students because the district has already been using funds in this manner prior to the 2024-2025 program year.
Example #2
Hallmark CSD - utilizes 2 funding streams, as follows:
- UPK Allocation
- $820,000 to serve 124 FTE 3-year-olds (approx. per pupil $6,613)
- $708,000 to serve 111.5 FTE 4-year-olds (approx. per pupil $6,350)
- SUFDPK Grant Award
- $1,120,000 to serve 4-year-olds (per pupil $7k w/ uncertified teacher or$10k w/ certified teacher)
Hallmark CSD School serves 80 FTE 3-year-olds and 98 FTE 4-year-olds all with certified teachers. To maximize their projected allocation/grant payable amount they would access the UPK allocation for their 3-year-olds and then use the SUFDPK grant award with the higher per pupil rate for their 4-year-olds.
Prior to 2024-25 with the supplement not supplant requirement the maximum projected payable would be $1,151,340. For 2024-25 without the supplement not supplant requirement the maximum projected payable would increase to $1,509.040.
Hallmark CSD would need to submit two FS-10s, one for each funding stream. Collaboration and M/WBE requirements would still apply as they have in the past.
| FTE | per pupil | AMT | |
| UPK 3s | 80 | $6,613 | $529,040 |
| UPK 4s | 98 | $6,350 | $622,300 |
| SUFDPK | 0 | $7k/$10k | $0 |
MAX PAYABLE $1,151,340
| FTE | per pupil | AMT | |
| UPK 3s | 80 | $6,613 | $529,040 |
| SUFDPK | 98 | $7k/$10k | $980,000 |
| UPK 4s | 0 | $6,350 | $0 |
MAX PAYABLE $1,509,040
Example #3
Empire CSD - utilizes funding streams, as follows:
- UPK Allocation
- $1,512,000 to serve 280 FTE 4-year-olds (approx. per pupil $5,400)
- SUFDPK Grant Award
- $900,000 to serve 4-year-olds (per pupil $7k w/ uncertified teacher or $10k w/ certified teacher)
- SUFDPK Grant Award
- $250,000 to serve 4-year-olds (per pupil $7k w/ uncertified or $10k w/ certified teacher)
Empire CSD serves 135 FTE 4-year-olds. To maximize their projected allocation/grant payable they would access the SUFDPK grant awards first due to the higher per pupil rates and then access the UPK allocation for the remainder of the students they are serving.
Prior to 2024-25 with the supplement not supplant requirement the maximum projected payable would be $729,000. For 2024-25 without the supplement not supplant requirement the maximum projected payable would increase to $1,258,000.
Empire CSD would need to submit three FS-10s, one for each funding stream the district uses. Collaboration and M/WBE requirements would still apply as they have in the past.
| FTE | per pupil | AMT | |
| UPK 4s | 135 | $5,400 | $729,000 |
| SUFDPK | 0 | $7k/$10k | $0 |
| SUFDPK | 0 | $7k/$10k | $0 |
| 135 |
MAX PAYABLE $729,000
| FTE | per pupil | AMT | |
| SUFDPK | 90 | $7k/$10k | $900,000 |
| SUFDPK | 25 | $7k/$10k | $250,000 |
| UPK 4s | 20 | $5,400 | $108,000 |
| 135 |
MAX PAYABLE $1,258,000
Please note that the removal of supplement not supplant language only impacts those districts who receive both UPK allocations and SUFDPK grant awards. If you have specific question regarding your funding or require guidance for the 2024-2025 school year, please contact the Office of Early Learning at (518) 474-5807 or OEL@nysed.gov.
