Parents Irate After Kindergarten Classroom Moved to Cafeteria to Make Room for NYC Pre-K Students

Parents of some Staten Island kindergartners were stunned on the first day of school to find their children's new classroom was moved to the school's cafeteria to make room for new pre-kindergarten students enrolled under the mayor's new early childhood program. 

The Archdiocese of New York confirmed a new classroom was constructed inside the cafeteria at St. Adalbert's School, but said the room is closed off and well-ventilated.

The school also sent a letter home to parents promising their child's kindergarten experience will remain the same, but parents aren't convinced.

"The kids aren't going to get the concentration that they need, and to me kindergarten is a big year for school," said Joseph Labita. 

"They feel like they had to get the funding, but if we're still paying for it, we should still have the classrooms," he said. 

It's not clear how many other schools are experiencing similar classroom changes as a result of new pre-k enrollment. According to the Department of Education, there are around 1,700 sites for pre-k classrooms in New York City.

St. Adalbert's School will be holding an orientation meeting next week to allow parents to express their concerns. 

City officials said 51,500 full-day pre-K students were enrolled as of Thursday, up from 20,000 last year. They said the number will be up to 53,000 by the end of the month.

Mayor de Blasio made expanded pre-K the main theme of his mayoral campaign last year. He says it's "one of the fundamental ways to shake the foundation of this school system."

-- With AP reports

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