Mayor Promises Pre-K Will Be Ready

Mayor Bill de Blasio says the city is on target to reach it's goals for universal pre-Kindergarten.

The Mayor says that just over 50,000 four-year-olds have been signed up for the program. Mayor de Blasio praised everyone who helped make universal pre-K a reality.

"This has been an incredible journey. Couple years ago, it started as an idea--people believed in it, people supported it," the Mayor said.

The Mayor also responded to concerns about whether certain pre-K programs are ready to safely handle the surge of kids. This week City Comptroller Scott Singer said many of the city contracts with pre-K providers had not been submitted for approval yet. But Mayor de Blasio insists the sites are safe, and will be ready by the beginning of school next week.

"The real question is are we addressing the health and safety concerns. The second there's a problem, they are addressed, because we put so much focused effort, and so many personnel on resolving this issue," de Blasio said.

The Mayor also encouraged parents to sign up for the remaining spots in this year's program.