Bethlehem Central School District > District > UPK openings still available – Apply today
Posted on

UPK openings still available – Apply today

The Bethlehem Central School District is partnering with two local organizations (TSL Adventures and Childtime Learning Center) to provide a universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) program that will serve 92 four-year-olds in the 2025-26 school year.

There are still openings for the 2025-26 Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) program. Registration will remain open and will be ongoing until all 92 spots have been filled. All families who were selected in the lottery on May 30 and those who were initially on the waitlist have been contacted and offered a spot. If all families on the waitlist enroll their students, there will still be 10 seats available. These additional openings will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

UPK is a free program open to district families with children who will be four years old by Dec. 1, 2025 (children who have birth dates between Dec. 2, 2020 and Dec. 1, 2021). 

Locations for the 2025-26 school year for UPK are:

  • TSL Adventures (339 Delaware Ave., Delmar) and
  • Childtime Learning Center (180 Delaware Ave., Delmar). 

Students who register are assigned their UPK location randomly.

To be eligible for 2025-26 UPK, a child must have been born between Dec. 2, 2020 and Dec. 1, 2021, and be a school district resident. 

Applications for UPK will be accepted online through the Aspen online portal. Families who do not already have an Aspen account must create one to complete the application.  Families unable to register online through Aspen should contact District Registrar Marina Bender at registration@bethlehemschools.org or call 518-439-2442.

UPK – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 

How to Submit the Online Registration Application 

Parents/guardians of current BC students already have an Aspen account and those parents/guardians must use their existing Aspen accounts.

Not registered in Aspen yet? 

Those who don’t have an Aspen account must create one in Aspen. To create an account, you must log in on a desktop or laptop computer, not a mobile device. This is only required when creating an account. Once an account has been created you can log in from a mobile device or computer.

  • Log in to Aspen
  • On the Aspen home page, under Login ID you can select “Request an account.”
  • Once your account has been created, you will be able to submit a UPK application during the open registration window. 

Once you have an Aspen account,  use Aspen to register for UPK lottery:

The application will take about 20 minutes via computer to complete. Please read all information below:

  • Go to https://aspen.bethlehemcentral.org/aspen/logon.do and log in
  • From your Homepage, under “Start a New Student Registration” click “Initiate”
  • Select the 2025-2026 school year and click “Next.”
  • Complete all of the tabbed sections, upload the required documents, and then press “Submit.”
  • If you need to stop your online application and come back later, select “Save & Close.”
  • Please note there is no transportation for UPK so please for any questions related to transportation, select “No.”

Required Documents to upload:

  • Your child’s birth certificate or passport
  • Your child’s immunization records
  • Government ID of parent/guardian
  • Three (3) proofs of Residency (homeowner’s insurance, auto insurance, cable television installation, National Grid bill, lease agreement, home purchase contract)
  • Custody papers, if applicable

Families who are unable to register online via Aspen should contact District Registrar Marina Bender at registration@bethlehemschools.org or call 518-439-2442.