Mayor Mamdani Urges Pre-K, 3-K Sign-Ups Before Deadline

Mayor highlights free early childhood education programs as application period nears close

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited Morningside Heights to encourage families to sign up for free Pre-K and 3-K programs in New York City before the February 27th deadline. Mamdani touted the programs as saving families over $20,000 per year and urged the over 75,000 families who have already applied to be joined by more in the final days of the application period.

Why it matters

Access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education is a critical issue for many New York City families. Mamdani's push to get more families enrolled in the city's free Pre-K and 3-K programs aims to ensure more children have the opportunity to get a strong educational foundation in their early years.

The details

Mamdani visited St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights to promote the sign-up process for the city's free Pre-K and 3-K programs. He noted that families have until February 27th to apply through the myschools.nyc website, which offers a variety of enrollment options. Mamdani said the programs take more than $20,000 per year off the costs for working families.

  • Families have until February 27th to apply for free Pre-K and 3-K programs in New York City.
  • Mamdani visited Morningside Heights on February 26, 2026 to encourage sign-ups before the deadline.

The players

Zohran Mamdani

The mayor of New York City who is promoting the city's free early childhood education programs.

Acty the Snowman

A character who joined Mamdani at the event in Morningside Heights.

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What they’re saying

“It is lovely to be back here in Morningside Heights. When I moved to New York City at the age of seven in 1999, this is the neighborhood where I grew up. We're just blocks away from what I would argue is the best pizza in New York City at Koronet.”

— Zohran Mamdani, Mayor (Mirage News)

“You have until February 27th if you want to join them in applying for free 3-K and Pre-K across our city. You can do so by going to myschools.nyc, and you can find [the] website where you'll find a whole wide variety of options for where you can enroll your children.”

— Zohran Mamdani, Mayor (Mirage News)

What’s next

Families have until February 27th to apply for free Pre-K and 3-K programs in New York City through the myschools.nyc website.

The takeaway

Mayor Mamdani's push to get more families enrolled in the city's free early childhood education programs aims to ensure equitable access to high-quality learning opportunities for young children across New York City.