Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced a major expansion of preschool special education, bringing the City's nationally recognized Nest, Horizon, AIMS, Path and ACES programs to Pre-K classrooms for the first time.
Supported by a $67.5 million investment in the Fiscal Year 2027 Executive Budget, the expansion will make these specialized programs available in 14 school districts across all five boroughs beginning this fall, giving young children with disabilities access to high-quality instruction in their own communities.
"Children with disabilities should not be forced to travel across the city just to get the education they deserve," said Mayor Mamdani. "That's why we're bringing those classrooms closer to home and taking another critical step toward making Pre-K truly universal. Every child deserves to learn and grow in their community, and every family deserves a public education system that meets them exactly where they are."
"Every child deserves the chance to learn and grow in a classroom built around their needs, and that chance should start as early as possible," said Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels. "For the first time, we're giving young children with autism and other disabilities the same high-quality, specialized instruction that has delivered real results for our older students. This investment is about strengthening the foundation and when we get early childhood education right, we set children up for a lifetime of success."
"Early childhood education is about delivering every child a strong start in life - the kind of framework that sets children up for high academic performance throughout their lives, long-term career success and strong social emotional skills that they will carry with them forever," said Emmy Liss, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education. "This investment means more children with disabilities will receive the responsive, attentive and evidence-based education they deserve, from the very beginning of their educational journey."
The expansion will provide young learners with high-quality, individualized instruction that strengthens academic, communication and social development in both inclusive and specialized classroom settings.
In addition to expanding classroom access, the investment strengthens the systems that help children receive services earlier and supports families throughout the special education process.
NYCPS will hire hundreds of new staff members to reduce evaluation wait times, expand bilingual assessment options and help families navigate the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. The investment includes 35 new professionals across 10 additional Preschool Regional Assessment Centers (PRACs), including psychologists, social workers, speech evaluators and occupational therapists.
Building on a successful pilot, the Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT) program will also expand, placing special education teachers in general education preschool classrooms and helping more young children with IEPs learn alongside their peers. An additional 29 therapists and specialists will strengthen services for children attending community-based 3-K and Pre-K programs.
Students will be placed into new program locations across the following school districts:
- District 2: PS 042 Benjamin Altman
- District 5: PS 133 Fred R. Moore
- District 6: PS 005 Ellen Lurie
- District 7: Academy of Exploratory Arts
- District 9: PS 028 Mount Hope, P.S. 058, P.S. 070 Max Schoenfeld, P.S. 063X Author's Academy, and Lucero Elementary School
- District 10: P.S. 310 Marble Hill, PS 023 The New Children's School, Rose Hill Pre-K Center
- District 11: P.S. 068 Bronx, P.S. 111 Seton Falls, P.S. 121 Throop
- District 12: P.S. 006 West Farms, Samara Community School
- District 14: P.S. 147 Isaac Remsen
- District 15: P.S. 015 Patrick Daly, P.S. 024, P.S. 958
- District 20: D20 Pre-K Center
- District 21: P.S. 212 Lady Deborah Moody
- District 30: P.S. 152 Gwendoline N. Alleyne School, P.S. 171 Peter G. Van Alst
- District 31: P.S. 054 Charles W. Leng
"A strong educational start sets up all our kids for a bright future and these investments ensure that for our pre-k students with disabilities," said NYC Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities' Commissioner Nisha Agarwal. "Under this administration, we're working everyday to see that every child and family has what they need to thrive in education and beyond. Thank you to our partners at NYC Public Schools and the teams across the city that will help this investment come to life."
When children with disabilities have access to the support they need from the very beginning, we build classrooms, communities, and a city where every child has the opportunity to thrive," said Jennifer Gutiérrez, Chair of the NYC Council's Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education. "This expansion recognizes that families deserve a system that meets children where they are and responds early, when interventions can have the greatest impact. Every child should have the opportunity to build confidence, develop meaningful connections, and enter kindergarten ready to succeed."
"Disabled students have a right to learn, belong, and thrive in our schools," said Council Member Shahana Hanif, Chair of the NYC Council's Disabilities Committee. "As Chair of the Committee on Disabilities I've seen how families are forced to fight far too hard for the services their children are entitled to. This $67.5 million investment in preschool special education is a critical step toward ensuring our youngest New Yorkers with disabilities get the support they need from the very beginning. I'm grateful to Mayor Mamdani for making this critical investment in our children and families."
"Every child deserves a world-class education system that meets them where they are, sees their full potential, and invests in them at every turn - not just in elementary school, but from their very first classroom experience. This Disability Pride Month, I'm glad to see the Nest, Horizon, AIMS, Path, and ACES specialized programs expanding into Pre-K for the first time citywide. I'm grateful to Mayor Mamdani, and Chancellor Samuels for committing to advancing a higher standard of excellence for New York's young children with disabilities, and look forward to working in partnership with the Mamdani administration to continue uplifting and expanding access to academic opportunity for all Manhattanites," said Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal.
"For generations, families of children with disabilities have been asked to navigate systems that too often made support feel distant, delayed, or conditional. This investment reflects a different promise: that the doors of public education must open early, fully, and with dignity," said State Senator Robert Jackson. "I commend Mayor Mamdani and Chancellor Samuels for recognizing that inclusion is not simply an educational goal-it is one of the clearest measures of whether our public institutions truly serve every child. When we build classrooms around the needs of our youngest learners, we are not simply expanding services-we are strengthening the foundation of justice itself. Every child deserves to be met with care, challenged with love, and given the tools to grow into the fullness of who they are."
"Every one of our littlest New Yorkers deserves access to a robust education tailored to their success. As the mother of a public-school student, I know our working families would do anything to ensure their children are well-adjusted in their educational journey - it is imperative that the largest public school system in the country ensures proper access to students who require additional support in the classroom," said Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, District 10. "We are excited that this administration is addressing that commitment, expanding staffing and investments citywide, and bringing special education programming to three of our very own centers in Upper Manhattan."
"Child care can only truly be universal if every child has access to a program that meets their needs. We thank Mayor Mamdani for making this important investment, which will help ensure more preschoolers with disabilities receive needed, legally required support. Access to high-quality specialized programs during these critical early years can have a lasting impact on children's development while helping make New York City a more affordable and appealing place to raise a family. We look forward to working with the Administration to ensure that every child with a disability has access to the programs and services they need to thrive," said Maria Odom, Executive Director, Advocates for Children of New York.
"Young children with disabilities and their families must have access to early childhood programs that build the vital social and emotional skills to be successful in school," said Cheryelle Cruickshank, Executive Director of INCLUDEnyc. "INCLUDEnyc is excited to support New York City Public Schools in the launch of these new specialized preschool programs and classes for the 2026-2027 school year, which will lay the groundwork for our youngest learners to thrive in their communities.
"NYU Steinhardt is excited to expand our longstanding partnerships with Nest and more recently, the Path Program, which leverage our successful inclusion model. Research shows how critical early intervention and supports are for children's long-term outcomes and we're thrilled for the expansion of all specialized programs into pre-school. The impact of investing in children so that they succeed and flourish cannot be overstated," said Kristie Patten, Gale and Ira Drukier Dean, NYU Steinhardt.
