Peralta On UPK, Charters

Statement From State Senator Jose Peralta 

"Finally making prekindergarten truly universal and adding charters calls for more school buildings.  Lots of them.  In my district, schools aren't equipped to meet the demand for kindergarten seats, let alone offer prekindergarten to every eligible child. School overcrowding has been severe here decades.

"In a place as densely populated as New York City, space for classrooms, or anything else, is hard to come by and expensive.

"But whether we want to expand prekindergarten, add charters or finally relieve the suffocating overcrowding that has long plagued my community's schools, we have no choice but to find the space and the money to pay for it.

"Accuse me of stating the obvious, but this seems to be an especially good time to again plead the case for more classrooms."

-30-