Breakthrough: NY Senate pledges funds for Universal pre-K
Mayor de Blasio hails 'unprecedented’ agreement
Adding impetus to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s ambitious push to fund full-day pre-K for every city youngster and after school programs for middle schoolers, the New York state senate’s majority committed on Thursday to fund the programs for five years.
“Under Conference Leaders Klein and Skelos, the state senate’s majority has put forward an unprecedented commitment to fund free, full-day pre-K for every child in New York City, and after-school programs for every middle schooler,” Mayor de Blasio said in a statement.
“Their powerful support for our children and families – combined with Speaker Silver and the state assembly’s passage of a resolution last night that includes a funding stream in the form of a tax on the city’s highest earners – represents a new consensus sweeping across this state,” he added.