Wappingers Central School District

Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) is a FREE program offered to preschool-aged children that reside in our District.

It’s open to children in our District who will be four years old by December 1 of that school year.

Our UPK classes are at several different sites: some are in district elementary schools, and others are in community-based preschool programs. 

Each class follows the same learning standards, but there are some differences between them, too.  We encourage you to find out more about the sites, so you can make an informed choice for your child. Find out more about our sites here.

• UPK is a great place for children to spend their day! All classes are held five days a week for a minimum of five hours.  

• Children engage in play-based learning: a combination of teacher-led activities (whole-class and small groups); student-chosen learning center exploration; and indoor and outdoor movement and play.  

• Thematic units tie learning together: they incorporate communication, language and literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, the arts, and more.