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.

Click here to see a map of PPS Early Childhood centers by region.

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/academics/early-childhood-programs/early-childhood-home. For a child who will be 3 by September 30th, you should apply online during the lottery window for the best chance of being accepted to the program of your choice. 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.