New Universal Pre-Kindergarten partnership will serve 36 students in the 2024-25 school year; spots to be filled by lottery

The Bethlehem Central School District plans to partner with a local organization to provide a universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) program in 2024-25 for up to 36 eligible four-year-olds at no cost to families. It is the first time the district will offer an instructional program for four-year-olds. The 2024-25 UPK program will run on the same school-year calendar that begins in September.

TSL Adventures is a Capital Region childcare provider that plans to open a new Delmar location in 2024. TSL Adventures was selected as the district’s UPK partner for 2024-25 to provide a high-quality, developmentally appropriate program to help four-year-olds prepare for kindergarten. TSL was the only organization to qualify to provide pre-kindergarten in the district as part of the RFP process.

The 36 seats in the UPK program will be filled through a lottery process. Selection will be random. The online application window opens Wednesday, May 1 at 12 noon and will close Friday, May 24 at 5 p.m.  Families will use the district’s Aspen Parent Portal to complete the application materials (see Aspen information below).

The lottery will be held on Friday, May 31. All eligible students who have applications that have been fully completed and submitted by the May 24 deadline will be part of the lottery. All applicants will be notified of their lottery position by email and regular mail the week of June 3, 2024.

To be eligible for the lottery, a child must have been born between Dec. 2, 2019 and Dec. 1, 2020, and be a school district resident. Children who are not placed in the program initially will be placed on a waiting list and families will be contacted if space becomes available throughout the year.

The UPK program is funded with state aid. The Bethlehem Central School District will continue to pursue similar partnerships with local organizations to expand the UPK offering in future years as long as state funding remains available in the state budget. 

Applications for the UPK lottery will be accepted online through the Aspen online portal. Families who do not already have an Aspen account must create one to complete the application.  Families unable to register online through Aspen should contact District Registrar Melissa Haas at mhaas@bethlehemschools.org or call 518-439-2442.

UPK – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (This information will be updated periodically.)

How to Submit the Online Registration Application 

Parents/guardians of current BC students already have an Aspen account and those parents/guardians must use their existing Aspen accounts.

Not registered in Aspen yet? 

Those who don’t have an Aspen account must create one in Aspen. To create an account, you must log in on a desktop or laptop computer, not a mobile device. This is only required when creating an account. Once an account has been created you can log in from a mobile device or computer.

• Log in to Aspen
• On the Aspen home page, under Login ID you can select “Request an account.”
• Once your account has been created, you will be able to submit a UPK application during the open registration window. 

Once you have an Aspen account,  use Aspen to register for UPK lottery:

The application will take about 20 minutes via computer to complete. Please read all information below:

• Go to https://aspen.bethlehemcentral.org/aspen/logon.do and log in
• From your Homepage, under “Start a New Student Registration” click “Initiate”
• Select the 2024-2025 school year and click “Next.”
• Complete all of the tabbed sections, upload the required documents, and then press “Submit.”
• If you need to stop your online application and come back later, select “Save & Close.”
• Please note there is no transportation for UPK so please for any questions related to transportation, select “No.”

Required Documents to upload:

• • Your child’s birth certificate or passport
  • Your child’s immunization records
  • Government ID of parent/guardian
  • Three (3) proofs of Residency (homeowner’s insurance, auto insurance, cable television installation, national grid bill, lease agreement, home purchase contract)
  • Custody papers, if applicable

Families who are unable to register online via Aspen should contact District Registrar Melissa Haas at mhaas@bethlehemschools.org or call 518-439-2442. 

All updates to UPK information will be posted to this page as they become available.