Rhode Island's PreK Lottery Deadline Extended To July 11

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island's preschool lottery was extended to midnight on July 11, the state's Department of Education announced Thursday. Parents from eligible communities can sign up their child for the chance at a year of cost-free, full-day PreK.

"The research is clear that children who attend high-quality pre-kindergarten programs are more likely to succeed in school, graduate high school and attend college," Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said. "Applying for the Rhode Island Pre-K lottery takes less than 10 minutes, and it’s a chance for eligible families to secure a free school year of high-quality learning for their young children. We hope parents and families will apply today, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to expand this program into every Rhode Island community."

To qualify for one of the more than 2,300 seats, children must turn 4 years old by Sept. 1 and live in an eligible community. The cities and towns are:

• Central Falls
• Coventry
• Cranston
• East Providence
• Johnston
• Lincoln
• Middletown
• Newport
• North Kingstown
• North Providence
• Pawtucket
• Providence
• South Kingstown
• Warren
• Warwick
• Westerly
• West Warwick
• Woonsocket

"Ensuring equal opportunity in education for all Rhode Island students is a top priority, and that must start with high-quality early childhood learning," Gov. Dan McKee said. "We are proud to be expanding this program to reach more young learners. I am grateful to RIDE for extending the deadline for applications to ensure that every eligible family has time to learn about this opportunity. Please spread the word and apply by July 11."

The program has been in place for 13 years, one of just six of its kind in the country that meets all 10 national quality criteria for pre-kindergarten education. This year saw the addition 27 new classrooms and about 500 more seats, as well as the first programs in South Kingstown and Lincoln.

Infante-Green will hold an information session about the program on RIDE's Facebook page at noon on Monday.

Paper applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. on July 9. Online applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on July 11.