Pre-K students during a performance at New Bridges Elementary. (Photo: Courtesy New Bridges Elementary)

Mayor Bill de Blasio has made clear that he wants all kids to have the head start that full-day pre-kindergarten can provide. But he can’t serve four-year-olds from City Hall, and his ambitious plan to place 4,268 more pre-K students in public schools by September rests on schools across the city being ready to receive them.

At five schools that are preparing for pre-K next year, principals and teachers all agreed that pre-K gives students a leg up academically and socially when kindergarten rolls around. The school leaders also shared the logic behind their individual decisions to apply for new seats, offering a window into the varied hopes and calculations at play as schools across the city prepare for the pre-K push.

Read the full story on Chalkbeat New York.