RIDE opens pre-K lottery; 2,300 slots available

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The Rhode Island Department of Education announced that the lottery to enroll children in free pre-K across the state is now open for the 2023-24 school year. More than 2,300 slots are available and parents or guardians must submit their applications online at RIpreK.com by June 18. Children are eligible for pre-K if they are 4 years old by Sept. 1 and their parents are residents of one of the 18 cities and towns participating in the free pre-K program. 'High-quality early learning opportunities are critical because what children learn in their first few years of life – and how they learn it – can have a long-lasting impact on their success and health from childhood through adulthood,' Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said.