Open the Pre-K on Van Brunt—Red Hook, Brooklyn

The Result

On May 18, 2026, the NYC Office of Childcare opened the school at 129 Van Brunt Street.

For the 2026–2027 school year, the school will operate with 3 three-year-old classrooms and 1 Pre-K classroom—63 seats for children in the Columbia Waterfront District. The building has room for 5 additional classrooms in years to come.

This advocacy was led by Jessica Setton, Zoe Grover, and Zach Hetrick, alongside parents from the Columbia Waterfront neighborhood who showed up, signed up, and kept the pressure on.

See the community demand we documented during the campaign:

View the Demand Record ›

With thanks to

The press — Nicole Rosenthal (NY Post), Jillian Jorgensen (NY1), and Julie Holstein (Ward 6) amplified our voices, told our story, and provided the crucial verified facts that made our case unimpeachable. This school does not open without these three women.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Emmy Liss, and Jeff Klein of the NYC Office of Childcare — for hearing us, for presenting a shared vision of Universal Childcare, and for making that vision real.
Councilwoman Shahana Hanif and Alexa Aviléz — arranged a tour, opened dialogue with the Office of Childcare, lobbied on our behalf, and attended our listening session.
Brad Lander — heard us, coached us, and reached out to officials on our behalf while running for federal office.
Randy Gordon and the Columbia Street Waterfront Association — gave us a home to organize under. Sharon Gordon helped us talk to local principals and provided crucial insights to a group of determined novices.
Assembly Members Jo Anne Simon and Marcela Mitaynes — heard us and lobbied on our behalf.

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 the Columbia Waterfront District. The city spent $12 million renovating the building. It was completed in 2023. The building was turned over to the DOE in January of 2026. For four years, not one child was enrolled.

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

The city paid over $100,000 per month in rent—$17 million in total on a building serving zero children. Parents made the case. The city listened.

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 mi	15	148	9.9×
Little BK Pre-K Center	1.1 mi	15	109	7.3×
PS 38 The Pacific	1.2 mi	30	196	6.5×
Regina's Daycare	.3 mi	12	79	6.6×
PS 261 Zipporiah Mills	.9 mi	30	182	6.1×
PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole	.8 mi	45	185	4.1×
PS 15 Patrick F. Daly	.6 mi	30	36	1.2×
TOTAL		475	1,447	3.0×

4-K (Pre-K) Applications vs. Seats—2025–2026 · Programs within 1.5 miles

Program	Distance	Seats	Applications	Demand
Elizabeth Jennings School	1.4 mi	18	237	13.2×
PS 29	.5 mi	36	239	6.6×
Let's Play and Learn	1.3 mi	10	52	5.2×
PS 58 The Carroll School	.6 mi	54	235	4.4×
Brooklyn New School	.4 mi	54	180	3.3×
PS 261 Zipporiah Mills	.9 mi	36	129	3.6×
PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole	.8 mi	64	152	2.4×
TOTAL		690	1,811	2.6×

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 mi	218	117	186%
PS 124	1.38 mi	307	284	108%
PS 29	.46 mi	710	685	104%
PS 58 + Pre-K Center Pre-K at 131 Union St: 54 enrolled / 45 seats	.56 mi	702	732	96% (Pre-K: 120%)
PS 118 Maurice Sendak	1.29 mi	202	213	95%
PS 261 Zipporiah Mills	.90 mi	569	627	91%
PS 38 The Pacific	1.19 mi	546	682	80%
PS 15 Patrick F. Daly	.60 mi	399	602	66%
PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole	.77 mi	485	959	51%
Red Hook Neighborhood School	.46 mi	169	322	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 $17 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.

$12M

Renovation—fully spent

The NYC School Construction Authority spent $12 million transforming 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
FY 2022 (Dec 2021–Jun 2022)	$596,240	~$93,350
FY 2023	$1,258,251	~$104,854
FY 2024	$1,273,355	~$106,113
FY 2025	$1,399,100	~$116,592
FY 2026 (Jul 2025–Apr 2026)	$1,315,829	~$131,583
Total to date	$5,842,775	—

Rent source: NYC Checkbook, NYC Comptroller's Office — vendor "129 Van Brunt Street Owner LLC," Dept. of Education. FY2023 independently confirmed against NYC Council DOE Lease Expenditure Report. FY2022 reflects lease start Dec 20, 2021. FY2026 is partial (through Apr 2026). Renovation figure: NYC School Construction Authority. Lease runs through 2035.

If the school remains closed through 2035, total public expenditure—renovation plus rent—will exceed $30 million, serving zero children.

The school is open.
The neighborhood showed up.

This site documents the case that parents built—in the city's own data—to open 129 Van Brunt Street. The data below remains as a public record of what the neighborhood faced and what it proved.

Advocacy concluded May 2026 · All data sourced from NYC DOE public records

A Pre-K Built,Paid For,and Finally Opened