Mayor Eric Adams said on Wednesday he would restore $167 million in early childhood education funding in his upcoming Executive Budget that had been left out of his preliminary spending plan — $30 million less than what the City Council called for in its own proposal this month.
The $167 million commitment breaks down into $112 million for expanding the city’s universal preschool program for 3-year-olds — known as 3-K—and $55 million for universal pre-K special education classes. According to the mayor’s office, those programs will receive the same level of funding going forward, which is known as baselining.
