Pittsburgh Public School District
Pre-K “Early Childhood” Programs

The Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) offers pre-k (“early childhood”) programs for 3-5 year-olds in most K-5 and K-8 schools, in stand-alone centers, at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, and at the Carnegie Science Center. The program, which operates for six hours a day, five days a week, is free for most families, depending on income.

If a school name includes “PreK” it indicates that the school offers the program. For a full list, visit discoverpps.org.

You can apply to any pre-k program regardless of neighborhood, although transportation isn’t provided for pre-k students. Please note: if you’re interested in a particular K-5 school with a magnet program, your child will get an extra “weight” (chance to be chosen) if they’ve attended pre-k at that school or another PPS school.

For children under 3, PPS also offers an Early Head Start Program for income-eligible families. Milliones 6-12, Westinghouse 6-12, and Allderdice and Brashear high schools have infant-toddler programs through Early Head Start for their students who are parents. The Crescent Early Childhood Center in Homewood also offers an infant-toddler program for student parents. For information, contact the PPS Early Head Start Coordinator, Sherlyn Harrison, at 412-529-8021.

To apply for a pre-k program for children aged 3-5, visit pghschools.org/Page/4971. For a child who will be 3 by September 30th, 2022, you should apply online during the lottery window for the best chance of being accepted to the program of your choice. The application will be available on February 15, 2022. If your child will turn 3 after September 30th, or if you miss the lottery window, you can still apply. If there are no spaces, your child will be placed on a waiting list. Once children have turned 3, they can enter a program after the school year has started if spaces are available. For more information, call the Early Childhood Main Office at 412-529-4291 (select option 2) or email earlychildhood@pghschools.org.

Check out this great resource from Trying Together on how to choose a quality child care program.