Full-day Prekindergarten Instructional: 4-year-olds

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
RFP 0812-26
Full-day Prekindergarten Instructional: 4-year-olds
Attention: Purchasing Agent Address:
City School District of Albany
1 Academy Park Albany, NY 12207
Phone: (518) 475- 6050
RESPONSES DUE BY: 2:00pm on August 12th, 2026

CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF ALBANY
Legal Notice
RFP 0812-26 Full-Day Prekindergarten Instructional 4-Year-Olds
The City School District of Albany, hereinafter known as the District, will receive proposals at
the Central Administration Offices, Purchasing Department, 1 Academy Park, Albany, New
York, 12207 until 2:00 PM on August 12th, 2026. The envelopes containing the proposals must
be sealed, and addressed to:
Purchasing Agent
City School District of Albany
1 Academy Park
Albany, NY 12207
Envelopes containing the proposals should be clearly marked "RFP 0812-26 Full-Day
Prekindergarten Instructional 4-Year-Olds".
The District has the right to accept or reject any and all proposals or parts thereof as it deems to
be in its best interest.
Proposals may be obtained by download from our District website at
https://www.albanyschools.org/business/bids, contacting the Purchasing Office at (518) 475-
6050, or by emailing jmonroe@albany.k12.ny.us.
The City School District of Albany is an affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Enterprise.
In accordance with the provisions of Section 103 of the General Municipal Law,
an advertisement has been published in the local newspaper.
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GENERAL INFORMATION/CONDITIONS
Statement of Purpose:
The City School District of Albany (hereinafter, City School District of Albany may be referred to as "the
District") is soliciting proposals for the purpose of collaborating with the City School District of Albany
for the provision of a Pre-K Instructional Program (Children who will be 4 years old by December 1,
2026).
Proposals must follow the outline set forth in this document. Please submit one (1) original and two (2)
copies of the completed qualifications and other requirements of the RFP, by hand delivery, regular
mail, or courier to the address listed on the cover page. The District must receive the proposal by the
date indicated in the timeline below.
General Information:
The City School District of Albany operates twelve elementary schools, four middle school buildings, and
one primary high school facility with extended programs in additional buildings, educating
approximately 9,000 students P-12. In addition to neighborhood schools, the District includes several
magnet schools and programs, as well as other innovative academic opportunities for students.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
The District is soliciting organizations that currently provide services to 4 year-old children within the
City School District of Albany attendance catchment area that are interested in collaborating to provide
a Full Day Prekindergarten program per NYSED Universal Prekindergarten regulations per 8 NYCRR
151-1.4 and City School District of Albany protocols and policies. This is a renewable annual contract,
with an RFP process conducted every 3-5 years. The annual renewable contract is contingent upon
adequate performance and availability of state funds. Here is a summary of the scope of services
selected organizations will provide (please see attached Appendix for a more thorough outline):
Prekindergarten Instructional Program for eligible City School District of Albany children at no cost
to families (Grant Funded through collaboration with the district).
Collaborate with the district in providing onsite or off-site (4-year-olds) Full Day Pre-K for
eligible 4-year-olds.
Prekindergarten teacher with teacher qualifications consisting of: preferably a Bachelor's degree
and valid New York State Teacher Certificate in Early Childhood Education (Birth- Grade 2) or
Students with Disabilities (Birth - Grade 2); or at minimum have a Bachelor's degree in Early
Childhood Education and have a written five-year plan for becoming certified; for full day
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prekindergarten program for up to 18 students at elementary school sites, and up to 16 students
per classroom at community-based sites (Community Based Organizations should have official
transcripts and copies of teacher certifications on file and will complete an annual or as modified
staff qualifications form to be provided to the District). The NYS State Education Office of Early
Learning UPK Regulations state that a certified teacher, or where there is not a certified teacher, a
certified educational supervisor, must be on site during UPK program hours.
Full time Teacher Assistant for each classroom based on ratios noted above. Teacher Assistant
requirements: high school diploma, teacher assistant certification or CDA.
Provide substitutes as needed when either Teacher or Teaching Assistant is out.
Program must demonstrate compliance with and follow all district protocols, policies, and
prekindergarten curriculum; aligned to the NYS Prekindergarten Learning Standards (2024 Edition)
for a seamless transition to the NYS Prekindergarten Learning Standards (2024 Edition). See the
attached Expectations Guide for a better understanding of district expectations and requirements
set forth for three- and four-year-old prekindergarten.
Program must demonstrate compliance with and follow Prekindergarten Regulations as set forth
by NYSED under 8 NYCRR 151-1.4 and Education Law 3602-e
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EDN/3602-E
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EDN/3602-EE
and these regulations include having a certified teacher on site at all times.
Program instructional day will run for 6.5 hours/per day and follow The City School District of
Albany school year calendar, providing 183 days of instruction.
Program hours will run from either 8-2:30pm or 9:00-3:30pm.
Optional: opportunity to offer integrated collaborations within the prekindergarten classroom.
Minority and Women owned Business Enterprises certified in New York State are encouraged to
submit proposals.
The District may also award additional work beyond this scope and project based upon responses to
this Request for Proposal.
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TIMELINE
A. Mailing of Requests for Proposal:
Date: July-August 2026
B. Deadline for submission of proposal to the Purchasing Agent (must receive by):
Date and time: August 12th, 2026 at 2:00pm EST
C. Evaluation of proposals and selection of the responder(s) to be recommended (tentative):
Date: September-October 2026
D. Approval by the Board of Education (tentative):
Date: November-December 2026
E. Effective date of award (tentative):
Date: December-January: Notification of award for the 2027-2028 school year
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Instructions to Responders:
The City School District of Albany prohibits employees (or entities in which the employee has a financial
interest, or from which the employee receives compensation) from contracting with the District to
provide goods or services as an independent contractor.
The submission of a proposal will indicate that the responder (1) has read the instructions, (2) will abide
by the terms and conditions governing this Request for Proposal, and (3) understands the requirements
for delivery of the services specified.
General Instructions:
1. Specifications contained in the Request for Proposal are for the provision of a
Prekindergarten program onsite in elementary schools or at off-site community-based sites for
eligible district children in collaboration with the City School District of Albany as outlined in the
Scope of Services section of this RFP.
2. Minimum requirements are specified. The responder may choose to exceed those minimums.
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3. Failure to provide sufficient and required information may result in the proposal being
rejected by the District as non-responsive and not being considered.
4. Each proposal must be clearly marked on the outside of the envelope with the title "RFP 0812-26
Universal Prekindergarten"- TO BE OPENED BY ADDRESSEE ONLY. Please ensure your organization's
name is included on the outside of the package. If you are using a commercial delivery company that
requires the use of their shipping package or envelope, your proposal must be placed within a
second sealed package labeled as detailed above. This will ensure you proposal is not prematurely
opened.
5. Original proposal with two copies are to be mailed or delivered to: City School District of
Albany, 1 Academy Park, Albany, NY 12207, Attn: Purchasing Agent; submissions must have RFP
0812-26 Full-Day Prekindergarten Instructional 4-Year-Olds clearly marked on the outer
envelope of your proposal. Proposals must arrive no later than the closing date and time specified in
the timeline provided herein. Any received after that time will not be opened, and will be returned
only upon request by, and at the expense of, the responder(s). The responder(s) will assume total
responsibility for delivery of their proposal on time at the place specified, whether sent by mail or
delivered in person.
6. Telephone, facsimile, or telegraphic proposals are not acceptable. Unless otherwise
specified, submission by email is not permitted.
7. To assist all vendors in obtaining a clear understanding of the requirements of this proposal,
vendors may present clarifying questions. Questions regarding this proposal must be submitted in
writing via email to Jasmine Brown, jbrown@albany.k12.ny.us, Sue Harrison,
sharrison@albany.k12.ny.us , Zuleika Sanchez-Gayle, zsanchez@albany.k12.ny.us, by 5:00 PM EST
on August 5th, 2026. Responders must also provide in writing one working email address of where
the District should direct its response to any questions. Responses to questions will be answered via
email as quickly as possible. The District is not responsible for non-working email addresses. District
responses will also be shared with other potential proposers if they are known to the District.
RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. The issuance of this RFP request constitutes only an invitation to submit a response to the District.
If the school District chooses to award the RFP to a selected vendor, the vendor must complete a
contract with the District. The form and content of the contract will be determined by the District.
2. This Proposal request does not commit the District either to award a contract or to pay any costs
incurred in the preparation of a submission. Responders shall bear all costs associated with
submission preparation, submission and attendance at presentation interviews, or any other activity
associated with this Proposal request or otherwise.
3. All proposals and accompanying documentation become the property of the City School
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District of Albany. The District shall not divulge any information presented to anyone outside the
District, unless required by law, without the written approval of the individual or firm. The District
reserves the right to use the information and any ideas presented in any submission in response to
this RFP request, whether or not the submission is accepted. Submitted proposals may be reviewed
and evaluated by any person or outside consultant retained by the District, other than one
associated with a competing applicant, as designated by the District. If a vendor believes that any
information in its proposal constitutes a trade secret and wishes such information not be disclosed if
requested by a member of the public pursuant to the State Freedom of Information Law, Article 6 of
the Public Officers Law, the vendor shall submit with its proposal a letter specifically identifying the
page number, line, or other appropriate designation, that information which it deems to constitute
a trade secret and explain in detail why such information is a trade secret. Failure by a vendor to
submit such a letter with its proposal identifying trade secrets shall constitute a waiver by the
applicant of any rights it may have under Section 89 (Subdivision 5) of the Public Officers Law
relating to protection of trade secrets.
4. The District neither makes nor assumes any contractual obligation by issuing this RFP
request, receiving and evaluating responses, or making preliminary responder selections. Providing
a response as provided herein shall neither obligate nor entitle a responder to enter into a contract
with the District.
5. The District reserves the right to determine in its sole and absolute discretion whether any aspect
of the vendor's submission satisfactorily meets the criteria established in this RFP request, the right
to seek clarification from any Responder(s), and the right to cancel and or amend, in part or entirely,
the RFP request, at any time prior to a written contract.
6. It is understood that any submission received and evaluated by the City School District of Albany
will be used as the basis for the cost and terms of a contract between the District and the particular
responder. In submitting a response, it is understood by the responder that the District reserves the
right to accept any submission, to reject any and all submissions and to waive any irregularities or
informalities that the District deems is in its best interest.
7. The District is not obligated to respond to any submission nor is it legally bound in any
manner whatsoever by the submission of a response.
8. Each response shall be reviewed for completeness and for the technical and administrative
requirements of the RFP request. The District has the option of requesting the responder to submit
missing information or provide clarification of those issues deemed incomplete, or disqualifying the
proposal. A proposal may be disqualified for lack of response to such a request.
9. RFPs submitted to the District must be valid for a period of at least 120 days from the deadline
for receipt of proposal responses as defined in the time frame section of this document.
10. The selected vendor's proposal will become part of any resulting legal contract, should
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contracts be awarded. The term of the resultant contract shall commence upon award and shall
remain in effect until completion, inspection, and final acceptance of specified project(s) unless
terminated, cancelled, or extended as otherwise provided herein. The contract shall be for a period
of 1 (one) year, upon mutual agreement with the contractor, the district shall have the option to
extend the contract up to 4 (four) additional 1 (one) year periods.
11. Each proposal must include the appropriate corporate officer's approval signature.
12. It is a requirement that responders indicate specifically in the response any sub-contract,
alliance, partner, franchise, or other "non-employee" relationship with any resource(s) they will
utilize if they are chosen as the selected proposal. Note: The District reserves the right to approve
and designate sub-contractors to be used in any of the services being proposed.
13. The City School District of Albany reserves the right to introduce additional factors not contained
in this RFP request to obtain the most suitable solution. After submitting a proposal, each
respondent must be prepared to have the operational aspects of their proposal reviewed in detail
by District representatives.
14. Proposals shall be opened publicly at the District's Central Office location, or other duly
designated location, on the "received by" date and time indicated on the cover page. The name of
each responder shall be read publicly and recorded. Unless disclosure of final proposal pricing would
constitute an impairment of negotiations, the proposed bid, cost, or sum of each proposer will be
read publicly as well. The content of proposals shall not be subject to public inspection until after
contract award. Subsequent to contract award, proposals may be reviewed unless they, in total or in
part, contain information which is exempt from disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information
Law (e.g. a trade secret).
15. At any time prior to the specified proposal due time and date, a responder (or designated
representative) may withdraw their proposal.
16. The District reserves the right to award contracts for individual projects or for any combination
of projects deemed to be most advantageous to the District. Notwithstanding any other provision of
the RFP, the District expressly reserves the right to:
Waive any immaterial defect or informality; or
Reject any or all proposals, or portions thereof; or
Reissue an invitation for proposal.
17. The District Board of Education reserves the right to award a contract in the best interest
of the District. The Board of Education's decision will be final.
Responders Default - Failure of the Responders to comply with any of these provisions may be
considered a reason for rejection of the Proposal.
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ATTACHMENT A - SPECIFICATIONS
ATTACHMENT B - SIGNATURE PAGE
ATTACHMENT C - QUOTE SHEET
ATTACHMENT D - INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
ATTACHMENT E - CREDENTIALS OF THE PROVIDER AND REFERENCES
ATTACHMENT F- REQUIRED CONTRACT PROVISIONS
ATTACHMENT G - PRE-K APPLICATION
ATTACHMENT A - SPECIFICATIONS
The submitted proposals must state and/or include responses to the following specifications:
DETAILS OF THE PROPOSED PROGRAM PER THIS RFP INCLUDING A FULL PROPOSAL WITH RESPONSES TO
THE SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF SERVICES DESCRIBED WITHIN AND COMPLETION OF THE ATTACHED
PRE-K APPLICATION*.
*Please note: The CSDA reserves the right to interview all potential applicants and conduct a site visit.
All proposals must attest to compliance with regular site visits if awarded.
OUR PROGRAM:
District Vision:
The City School District of Albany will be a district of excellence with caring relationships and engaging
learning experiences that provide equitable opportunities for all students to reach their potential.
Mission:
The mission of the City School District of Albany is to work in partnership with our diverse community to
engage every learner in a robust educational program designed to provide the knowledge and skills
necessary for success.
The mission of the City School District of Albany Prekindergarten program is to provide children with a
safe, nurturing, and child centered learning environment that supports the development of the whole
child. Keep our diverse children and families at the heart of our work because we teach what we love,
and we love who we teach.
Our Philosophy:
Our philosophy is based on our understanding of how children learn best. Upon arrival a visitor will
notice that a child's classroom is buzzing with activity. The children will be exploring, conversing, and
discussing often through play.
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Research from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and experience tell
us that to be effective with young children, teaching practices need to be "developmentally
appropriate". This means that teachers need to think first about the best way children of this age learn
and then create an environment and experiences that are in tune with children's characteristics.
Early childhood (3-5 years old) is a time when children learn better through interactive experiences than
through just listening to a teacher talk. Children learn an extraordinary amount through play and
exploration. Our day is structured, yet flexible in response to children's abilities, which extends itself to
opportunities for exploration, learning and purposeful play in a developmentally appropriate way. We
believe that play is children's work in early childhood classrooms and that they must be active learners
and participants.
Another component of developmentally appropriate practice is to make the program a welcoming place
for every child. We are eager to learn as much as we can about each child's family, cultural background,
experience, and current circumstances. With this knowledge we work in partnership to create a program
that fits the children and families we serve.
Goals of our Curriculum:
Our curriculum supports children to be enthusiastic and active participants in their learning. This means
we encourage children to ask questions, be creative explorers who are interested and confident to try
out new ideas and to think about their own thoughts. We do this through purposeful and intentional
play experiences which help children grow in the following areas of development:
* Cognitive: Children will have the opportunity to problem solve and use materials and their
imagination. The environment supports asking questions, thinking logically by sorting,
classifying, comparing, making patterns, and counting.
* Language: Children will have the opportunity and modeling from adults to use words to
communicate with others, be listened to and to participate in conversations with others.
* Physical: Children will have the opportunity to increase their large muscle skills by running,
jumping, throwing, and catching and small muscle skills by cutting, drawing, lacing, and writing.
* Social/Emotional: Children will have the opportunity and modeling from adults to develop
independence, self-confidence, and self-regulation through communication, following rules and
routines and developing peer- relationships as part of a group.
The activities we plan for children, how we organize the environment, and plan the daily schedule, are
designed to support the goals of our curriculum, the NYS Prekindergarten Learning Standards (2024
Edition) and the New York State NYS Prekindergarten Learning Standards (2024 Edition), to give students
a strong foundation for kindergarten and future school success.
HOUSING OF PROGRAM SERVICES:
* Services housed onsite in elementary schools or off-site at your location or an agreed upon,
licensed and contracted space within the district catchment area.
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