Columbia Waterfront District · Brooklyn · District 15

A Pre-K Built,
Paid For,
and Never Opened

The case for opening the Pre-K center at 129 Van Brunt Street—in the city's own data.

Research compiled April 2026 · District 15 Parent Group

In 2021, the NYC Department of Education signed a lease at 129 Van Brunt Street to house a new 3-K and Pre-K program in Red Hook. The city spent $5.8 million renovating the building. It was completed in 2023. The building was turned over to the DOE in January of 2026. Not one child has been enrolled.

Meanwhile, the DOE's own application data shows families applying for nearby 3-K seats at 3–10 times the available capacity. The nearest Pre-K program is operating at 120% capacity. Six of the ten closest elementary schools are at or above 90% utilization. Nearby private preschool options average over $30,000 for a 10-month year.

The city continues to pay approximately $140,000 per month in rent—over $8.2 million spent to date on a building serving zero children, with a lease running through 2035.

$8.2M
Rent paid to date
since 2021
3,258
Applications for Nearby
3-K & Pre-K
0
Children enrolled
at 129 Van Brunt
Section 01—The Demand

Families are being turned away in every direction

Using the DOE's own MySchools application records for the 2025–2026 school year, we tracked every 3-K and Pre-K program within 1.5 miles of 129 Van Brunt. The result is unambiguous: demand overwhelms supply at every program nearby. Several of the closest schools offer zero seats despite serving the same catchment.

3-K Applications vs. Seats—2025–2026 · Programs within 1.5 miles
Program Distance Seats Applications Demand
Cobble Hill Kindercare.7 mi151489.9×
Little BK Pre-K Center1.1 mi151097.3×
PS 38 The Pacific1.2 mi301966.5×
Regina's Daycare.3 mi12796.6×
PS 261 Zipporiah Mills.9 mi301826.1×
PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole.8 mi451854.1×
PS 15 Patrick F. Daly.6 mi30361.2×
TOTAL4751,4473.0×
4-K (Pre-K) Applications vs. Seats—2025–2026 · Programs within 1.5 miles
Program Distance Seats Applications Demand
Elizabeth Jennings School1.4 mi1823713.2×
PS 29.5 mi362396.6×
Let's Play and Learn1.3 mi10525.2×
PS 58 The Carroll School.6 mi542354.4×
Brooklyn New School.4 mi541803.3×
PS 261 Zipporiah Mills.9 mi361293.6×
PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole.8 mi641522.4×
TOTAL6901,8112.6×
For every available 3-K seat near 129 Van Brunt, three children applied—at some programs, as many as thirteen.
Section 02—The Buildings

Nearby schools are already past capacity

The DOE's own 2024–2025 Blue Book—the Enrollment, Capacity and Utilization Report—confirms that the schools closest to Van Brunt are severely overcrowded. These buildings cannot absorb the unmet demand. Six of the ten nearest elementary schools are at or above 90% utilization. The only dedicated Pre-K program in the vicinity, at 131 Union Street, is operating at 120% capacity.

Blue Book 2024–2025 · Enrollment & Utilization · Schools within 1.5 miles
School Distance Enrolled Capacity Utilization
PS 418
 .46 mi218117
186%
PS 124
 1.38 mi307284
108%
PS 29
 .46 mi710685
104%
PS 58 + Pre-K Center
Pre-K at 131 Union St: 54 enrolled / 45 seats
 .56 mi702732
96% (Pre-K: 120%)
PS 118 Maurice Sendak
 1.29 mi202213
95%
PS 261 Zipporiah Mills
 .90 mi569627
91%
PS 38 The Pacific
 1.19 mi546682
80%
PS 15 Patrick F. Daly
 .60 mi399602
66%
PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole
 .77 mi485959
51%
Red Hook Neighborhood School
 .46 mi169322
52%

Source: NYC DOE Enrollment, Capacity & Utilization Report 2024–2025 ("Blue Book")

District 15 Pre-K & 3-K Demand Map—Applications per available seat by program
Section 03—The Funds

Over $14 million in public money—zero children served

The fiscal case is straightforward: the renovation is done, the lease is running, and the clock is ticking. Every month the school stays closed is a month of rent paid on a building delivering nothing to the public.

$5.8M

Renovation—fully spent

The DOE committed $5.8 million to transform a former industrial building into a purpose-built preschool. The renovation was completed in 2023. The money is gone whether the school opens or not.

Annual DOE Lease Expenditures—129 Van Brunt St & 23 Carroll St (K863)
Fiscal Year Annual Expenditure Est. Monthly Children Served
FY 2021$1,539,605~$128,3000
FY 2022$1,585,793~$132,1490
FY 2023$1,633,367~$136,1140
FY 2024$1,682,368~$140,1970
FY 2025 (proj.)$1,732,840~$144,4030
Total to date $8,173,973 — 0

Source: NYC Checkbook / NYC Council DOE Lease Expenditure Report. Lease runs through 2035—approximately $19–20M in additional rent at current escalation rate (~3%/yr).

If the school remains closed through 2035, total public expenditure—renovation plus rent—will exceed $27 million, serving zero children.

Open the Pre-K.
The school is ready.

Sign the petition calling on the NYC Department of Education and local elected officials to activate the Pre-K center at 129 Van Brunt Street for the 2025–2026 school year.

Sign the Petition ↗

Research compiled April 2026 · All data sourced from NYC DOE public records