The number of children, age four or otherwise eligible for kindergarten in the following school year, enrolled in publicly funded prekindergarten programs, expressed as a percentage of all 4-year-olds.
Early emphasis on reading and social skills prepares children to succeed later in their education.
In 2022, 34% of the Mid-Hudson Valley region's 4-year-olds were enrolled in publicly funded prekindergarten programs, up 8 percentage points from 2011, and 5 percentage points higher than the 29% rate for the state (excluding NYC). Participation in 2022 was highest in Greene County, with 48% of 4-year-olds enrolled, followed by Orange with 40% and Sullivan with 37%. In recent years, no Putnam County districts have participated in the state's preK program.
Among local school districts that participate in publicly funded preK (some do not), participation ranged from 9% of 4-year-olds in the Goshen Central district to 100% in the Hunter-Tannersville district.
Due to changes in the source of the data, results from 2017 onward may differ slightly from previous years. Prekindergarten enrollment through 2016 is as reported in New York State Education Department's (NYSED) School Report Card database. Enrollment for 2017 and onwards is provided by the NYSED's Office of Early Learning. Figures reflect children in free prekindergarten programs provided by school districts or community organizations; they do not include children attending private preschool or federally funded Head Start. In 1997, New York State enacted a law providing public support for prekindergarten, effective 1998.
| 2012 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | 27% | 25% | 27% | 29% | 28% | 29% | 27% | 28% | 24% | 34% | |||||||||
| Columbia | 21% | 27% | 30% | 32% | 24% | 32% | 27% | 20% | 27% | 36% | |||||||||
| Dutchess | 13% | 11% | 14% | 18% | 17% | 17% | 11% | 16% | 14% | 34% | |||||||||
| Greene | 39% | 33% | 33% | 30% | 36% | 33% | 30% | 26% | 22% | 48% | |||||||||
| Orange | 37% | 35% | 39% | 39% | 39% | 39% | 37% | 37% | 30% | 40% | |||||||||
| Putnam | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |||||||||
| Sullivan | 43% | 40% | 39% | 39% | 37% | 37% | 36% | 38% | 30% | 37% | |||||||||
| Ulster | 24% | 24% | 22% | 27% | 26% | 30% | 32% | 35% | 27% | 31% | |||||||||
| NYS (excluding NYC) | 37% | 36% | 37% | 38% | 25% | 25% | 25% | 27% | 22% | 29% | |||||||||
| Columbia School Districts | |||||||||||||||||||
| Dutchess School Districts | |||||||||||||||||||
| Greene School Districts | |||||||||||||||||||
| Orange School Districts | |||||||||||||||||||
| Putnam School Districts | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sullivan Villages | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ulster School Districts | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | 3,506 | 3,178 | 3,392 | 3,594 | 3,451 | 3,529 | 3,354 | 3,484 | 2,966 | 4,336 | |||||||||
| Columbia | 125 | 145 | 170 | 183 | 132 | 161 | 140 | 102 | 135 | 169 | |||||||||
| Dutchess | 400 | 340 | 405 | 510 | 466 | 462 | 307 | 447 | 395 | 929 | |||||||||
| Greene | 162 | 147 | 148 | 133 | 144 | 145 | 123 | 100 | 91 | 203 | |||||||||
| Orange | 1,983 | 1,807 | 1,951 | 1,988 | 1,947 | 1,952 | 1,954 | 1,924 | 1,638 | 2,214 | |||||||||
| Putnam | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| Sullivan | 390 | 344 | 332 | 346 | 341 | 318 | 326 | 349 | 280 | 339 | |||||||||
| Ulster | 446 | 395 | 386 | 434 | 421 | 491 | 504 | 562 | 427 | 482 | |||||||||
| NYS (excluding NYC) | 48,586 | 45,628 | 47,034 | 48,125 | 48,180 | 47,794 | 48,777 | 51,743 | 41,122 | 52,998 | |||||||||
| Columbia School Districts | |||||||||||||||||||
| Dutchess School Districts | |||||||||||||||||||
| Greene School Districts | |||||||||||||||||||
| Orange School Districts | |||||||||||||||||||
| Putnam School Districts | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sullivan Villages | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ulster School Districts | |||||||||||||||||||
| INDICATORS | TREND | STATE |
|---|---|
| Preschoolers Receiving Special Education Services | Increasing |
| Prekindergarten Participation | Increasing |
| Students Receiving Special Education Services | Increasing |
| Per-Student Spending | Maintaining |
| Student Performance on Grade 4 English, by Student Group | Increasing |
| Student Performance on Grade 4 English, by Race/Ethnicity | Maintaining |
| Student Performance on Grade 4 Math, by Student Group | Increasing |
| Student Performance on Grade 4 Math, by Race/Ethnicity | Increasing |
| High School Cohort Graduation Rate | Increasing |
| High School Cohort Dropout Rate | Decreasing |
| High School GED Rate | Maintaining |
| Education Levels of Adults | Increasing |
| Education Levels of Adults, by Race/Ethnicity | Decreasing |
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