Open Enrollment and Open Houses: Preschool Program Open This Week as NYC Schools Reopen After Heavy Snow
The Kent ISD Great Start Readiness Program is holding PreK open houses this week and enrollment is open now for tuition-free preschool, while New York City public schools reopened for in-person learning Tuesday following a powerful winter storm that left parts of the city buried in more than 20 inches of snow — a decision that drew sharp criticism on Staten Island.
Open Houses and Enrollment Details
Families with children who turn 4 by Dec. 1 can attend “PreK Here I Come!” open houses to learn about tuition-free preschool options. Events run from 4: 15–5: 45 p. m. on Thursday, Feb. 26 and 9–11 a. m. on Friday, Feb. 27 at locations across Kent County and in the Thornapple Kellogg school district area; some locations are open both days. Enrollment for the next school year is open now and continues while classroom spots remain available.
Who Qualifies for Tuition-Free Pre-K
All families qualify for tuition-free pre-K for their 4-year-olds as part of Michigan’s PreK for All initiative. Families can enroll their 4-year-old children in full-day preschool classrooms throughout the area, and enrollment is open now for those seeking placements.
Where Preschool Seats Are Available
There are many openings in Kent ISD public districts as well as in private and charter school districts, community-based organizations such as the YMCA, and child care centers such as Appletree and Milestones. The program serves the following local districts: Byron Center, Caledonia, Cedar Springs, Comstock Park, East Grand Rapids, Forest Hills, Godfrey-Lee, Godwin Heights, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kelloggsville, Kenowa Hills, Kent City, Kent ISD, Kentwood, Lowell, Northview, Rockford, Sparta, Thornapple Kellogg, and Wyoming.
Timeline and Typical Schedules for GSRP Classrooms
Most locations offer preschool Monday through Thursday, and select Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) classrooms are offered Monday through Friday. Families are encouraged to learn more or enroll by contacting GSRP at 616-447-2409. The program’s local administrative office is listed at Kent ISD, 2930 Knapp NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525.
NYC Schools Reopen After Major Snow; Staten Island Backlash
New York City public schools resumed in-person learning on Tuesday, one day after a powerful winter storm that brought over 20 inches of snow to parts of the city. The move prompted criticism from local officials, parents and union leaders, most vocally on Staten Island, the borough hardest hit by the storm.
Conditions on Staten Island and Transit Disruptions
The Grasmere section of Staten Island recorded nearly 30 inches of snow, the highest total across the five boroughs. While main roads were largely cleared early Tuesday, many residential streets remained snow-covered or impassable. Cars were buried under heavy drifts and some driveways were still blocked by plowed snow. Borough officials requested an exemption from City Hall that would have allowed Staten Island schools to remain closed while other boroughs reopened, but they say they were met with silence.
Local Leaders and Attendance Impact
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella condemned the city’s snow response as horrible and said reopening schools was a mistake; he emphasized that Staten Island is not an urban setting, that residents do not live in 27-story buildings, and that the community is largely one- and two-family homes that depend on cars — a situation where one size does not fit all. Some Staten Island schools reported dramatic drops in attendance, with reports of up to 90% of students absent at certain schools and roughly 70% absent at some intermediate schools on the South Shore.
Transit Strains and Wider Regional Snow Totals
The borough’s limited transit options compounded the problem: the Staten Island Railway suspended service between Tottenville and Huguenot while trains running north operated on an hourly schedule, and buses were seen stranded on snow-covered streets throughout the day. Snowfall totals rose into the double digits across several communities in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Storm Imagery and System Closures
Images from the storm period include children using plastic saucers and sleds on a hill in Brooklyn on Feb. 23, 2026 during a snow day, and a Long Island Rail Road worker clearing snow from a platform as the system closed in Queens on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. Local reporting noted that while some arterial roads were passable, many secondary and tertiary streets remained impassable early Tuesday.
These developments — open preschool enrollment opportunities in Kent County and the contentious reopening of New York City schools after a severe storm — highlight contrasting local education challenges this week: expanding early learning access in one region while grappling with storm recovery and safety debates in another. Details may continue to evolve.
