Full-Day Pre-K Is Big Draw

The anticipated popularity of the East Hampton School District’s new full-day prekindergarten program, set to begin in September at the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center, has resulted in an increase in enrollment and a small waiting list for interested students.

East Hampton initially capped enrollment in the program at 54 students, a number based on enrollment in the 2014-15 school year and available funding during the 2015-16 school year. However, the district is now at 66 students, according to Maureen Wikane, director of the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center.

Richard Burns, East Hampton’s superintendent, said in a recent interview that “at this point, we are able to accommodate all the kids that met the first deadline,” which was May 15.

During the June 16 school board meeting, Isabel Madison, the district’s assistant superintendent for business, said up to six students beyond the initial 54 could be accommodated at no extra cost. However, beyond that, six more students — totaling, then, 66 — would require an additional $48,000 from the district. The extra funding could come from a state grant designated to help districts fund prekindergarten programs, Ms. Madison said. With 54 students, the program was to cost the district about $440,000.

According to Christina DeSanti, who served as school board vice president during the 2014-15 school year, the grant “should just about cover” the extra enrollment costs. Because of that, she said, the school board won’t have to vote to approve the extra funding.

“If we didn’t have a cushion, and had to pull it from somewhere else, we would have had to have a vote,” Ms. DeSanti said. “Once the budget is set, you can’t just go back and add to it. It’s tight, and you don’t want to impact other programs.”

After the initial registration period, the district set up a June 15 deadline for parents interested in putting their children on a waiting list for entrance into the universal prekindergarten program, and drew four more potential students.

“They were clearly told they will be given seats only if there is a vacancy or if a child moves,” Mr. Burns said. “There’s such movement. It’s a very transient population. Perhaps those four seats will open up.”

In cases where districts have more students than available seats in universal prekindergarten programs, state regulations dictate schools must hold a lottery for entrance. However, that’s not the case in East Hampton, because the district was able to accommodate all the children whose parents signed up prior to its initial deadline. According to Jonathan Burman, a spokesman for the New York State Department of Education, districts do have the ability to create a specific sign-up period with a cutoff deadline, and East Hampton’s creation of a waiting list was an appropriate move.