When the Croton-Harmon school district held its lottery for Universal Pre-Kindergarten seats last spring, demand outstripped the available seats — and for the first time, the district couldn't place everyone. It was the beginning of a local crisis that would pack board meetings, generate a petition with more than 750 signatures, and add Croton's voice to a statewide push for adequate UPK funding. {{photo:yt-TzciddgWZcE:448:A parent addresses the Croton-Harmon Board of Education during a packed January 2026 meeting on UPK funding}} The problem wasn't demand. It was money. New York State funds UPK at roughly $5,400 per student — a figure that hasn't kept pace with the actual cost of providing quality early childhood education, according to district officials and providers statewide. For Children's Space North, the community-based provider that operates Croton's UPK classrooms, the gap had become unsustainable. "As we heard last board meeting, they will not be able to continue because of the financial constraints," one parent told the board at the pivotal January 8, 2026 meeting, which drew massive turnout for the second consecutive month. "I asked last meeting that there be consideration made for a one-year commitment to bridge that gap." {{quote:yt-TzciddgWZcE:14647}} The estimated shortfall was significant — a fraction of the district's overall budget, but one the board felt constrained from filling with local tax dollars without state support. {{quote:yt-TzciddgWZcE:14641}} Parent Mike Grubiak put the human cost in perspective. "My projected child care costs for my three children, one of whom is in CET kindergarten, for this year, between aftercare, daycare, and summer care is about $72,000," he told the board. He had spoken with the state's Office of Early Learning, which told him directly: "A school district is expected to use local funds to supplement the UPK program. From my perspective, this is clearly an emergency." {{quote:yt-TzciddgWZcE:14639}} Superintendent Stephen Walker made a clear pledge that night. "There is no intent from anyone who's seated at this table to allow UPK to flounder, to fail, or to be paused in the system," he said. "That simply will not happen. We will not allow it to happen." {{quote:yt-TzciddgWZcE:14641}} But the board's frustration with Albany was palpable. "I wish Kathy Hochul was listening to our board meeting," one board member said. "We're trying to make something work and governmentally, in terms of how things are funded, they're not funded to make it easy for districts to do this, and the people who are left hanging are the people who are in the audience right now." {{quote:yt-TzciddgWZcE:14629}} ## From Advocacy to Action What followed was a determined local campaign that joined years of statewide advocacy by parents, educators, and early childhood organizations across New York. By January 22, the Croton-Harmon board adopted a formal resolution calling on New York State to fully fund UPK. Governor Hochul's budget proposal included an allocation of $10,000 per student for 2026-27 — nearly doubling the current rate — a figure advocates statewide had long pushed for. {{quote:yt-p27Z1GdnRl8:8431}} Croton parents added their weight. By February, two parents had testified at the Westchester delegation's budget forum. Senator Pete Harkham toured Children's Space North. At the February 26 work session, the board approved both providers for 2026-27. On March 2, a press conference with state legislators, parents, and Children's Space North owners cemented the effort. "We were extremely pleased to hear our elected officials speak with such confidence that the governor's proposal of $10,000 per UPK student will be incorporated into the 2026-27 state budget," Walker reported. "The legislative focus has now shifted to advancing the timeline for truly universal access." {{quote:yt-3JzGYFFFFFk:10535}} ## What's at Stake One parent framed it in terms the entire community could understand: "Not having UPK essentially would make Croton a gated community — where we wouldn't have a physical gate obviously, but it sends a message that this community is only for people with the wealth and privilege to be able to function here. This is really an equity issue." {{quote:yt-RRwsK3F-BEQ:11065}} With the state budget expected in April, a key concern remains: the district has no clear backup plan if state funding falls through. The district removed the option of using classroom space at CET from its UPK request for proposals, citing space constraints — a point parents pressed at the February 12 board meeting. But with both legislative chambers proposing increases, the outlook is cautiously optimistic. Correction (April 9, 2026): This article has been updated to correct the name of Mike Grubiak (previously misspelled), to remove an inaccurate characterization of the district's backup plan, and to better reflect that the proposed state funding increase resulted from years of statewide advocacy rather than any single community's efforts alone. The petition signature count has been updated to reflect current figures. Specific dollar figures and enrollment numbers cited in the original version without direct sourcing have been removed or attributed.