Gov. Kathy Hochul joined education leaders and elected officials in Eastchester Thursday to announce approximately $560 million in funding that will add thousands of pre-K seats across more than 400 school districts statewide.

Universal pre-K is a federal and state-funded program that allows children to attend pre-K free of charge.

The funding is part of the state's $1.7 billion investment in childcare programs.

Tuckahoe School District Superintendent Benjamin Roberts said additional funding has allowed the district to expand its program.

"We've actually had a program for many years here at Tuckahoe and have most recently been able to expand because of the additional funding, going from 40 students last year to now close to 60 students," Roberts said.

State officials said the goal is to provide every 4-year-old in New York with access to high-quality pre-K by the 2028 school year, eliminating the lottery system many districts currently use.

"I don't believe that pre-K is a luxury. I think it is a necessity. It's a basic infrastructure for working families," Hochul said.

In a statement to News 12, Republican gubernatorial challenger Bruce Blakeman said: "When I’m governor, I’ll make childcare affordable for children of all ages by stopping Hochul’s taxes, fees and mandates that only deepen the financial pain families face when putting food on the table and clothes on their children.”

Here are the Hudson Valley public school districts adding new seats:

ARLINGTON CSD BREWSTER CSD CARMEL CSD CHAPPAQUA CSD CHESTER UFSD CLARKSTOWN CSD CROTON-HARMON UFSD DOBBS FERRY UFSD DOVER UFSD EAST RAMAPO CSD (SPRING VALLEY) EDGEMONT UFSD ELLENVILLE CSD FALLSBURG CSD FLORIDA UFSD GARRISON UFSD GOSHEN CSD GREENBURGH CSD GREENWOOD LAKE UFSD HENDRICK HUDSON CSD HYDE PARK CSD KATONAH-LEWISBORO UFSD KINGSTON CITY SD KIRYAS JOEL VILLAGE UFSD LAKELAND CSD MAHOPAC CSD MAMARONECK UFSD MARLBORO CSD MIDDLETOWN CITY SD MILLBROOK CSD MONROE-WOODBURY CSD MT PLEASANT CSD MT VERNON SCHOOL DISTRICT NANUET UFSD NEW ROCHELLE CITY SD NEWBURGH CITY SD NORTH SALEM CSD NYACK UFSD OSSINING UFSD PAWLING CSD PORT JERVIS CITY SD PUTNAM VALLEY CSD RED HOOK CSD RHINEBECK CSD RONDOUT VALLEY CSD SAUGERTIES CSD SOUTH ORANGETOWN CSD TUCKAHOE UFSD UFSD-TARRYTOWNS VALHALLA UFSD WALLKILL CSD WASHINGTONVILLE CSD WHITE PLAINS CITY SD YONKERS CITY SD