Parents press Levittown Board to change UPK lottery practice after placement disparities

Several parents and Kitty Junction representatives told the Levittown Board of Education on April 16 that the district’s UPK lottery allocation forces some children to leave their current providers and disrupts continuity of care.

Lori Sadowski, a parent and former teacher, said the current system allows existing students in other districts to remain in their placement and urged the board to adopt a similar continuity rule. She cited research and classroom experience that continuity benefits early learners and asked the board and superintendent to reconsider the policy that would move some children based solely on lottery position.

Christine O’Neal described a child in her family who depends on a specific, month-long preparation by Kitty Junction staff to manage a life‑threatening allergy. “It would be beyond terrifying to trust someone else with our child,” she said, and called removing the child from an established placement a health and safety risk that requires careful review.

Speakers pointed to numbers they said were provided by the district during the lottery: 340 total UPK seats, with 87 allocated to Kitty Junction and 253 to Tender Garden, and argued that the split gives some providers a near-guarantee while disadvantaging others. Commenters asked the board and superintendent to adopt a continuity-of-care option for students already enrolled in a provider.

Board members did not announce a policy change at the meeting; the public-comment period concluded with an assurance that the board would consider the input. The matter may be placed on a future agenda for further discussion ahead of UPK placements for the next school year.