Chicago Public Schools announces free Pre-K expansion; excitement causes application site to crash

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago Public Schools announced Tuesday it is expanding its free, full day of preschool.

The announcement was so popular, it crashed the website to apply.

Programs will now be expanded to kids in 64 of the 77 city communities for the upcoming school year and will cover all 77 communities by fall 2023.

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CPS CEO Pedro Martinez made the announcement at Wendell Smith elementary in West Pullman. He says universal Pre-K is a game changer for working parents.

To be eligible, children must be Chicago residents and turn 4 years old on or before Sept. 1 of this year.

The website is back up and running. The application period runs through May 10.