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GARDEN CITY NURSERY SCHOOL

GARDEN CITY, NY · EIN 116003017 · Form 990 · FY2024 · Small ($100K-$1M) · gcns.org
revenue
$722K
expenses
$470K
net assets
$648K
employees
28
volunteers
80
program ratio
97%
mission · from form 990

NURSERY SCHOOL

profile · synthesized from sources

Garden City Nursery School is a parent cooperative early childhood education program serving children ages 2 to 5 in Garden City, New York. Founded in 1951, it offers play-based learning programs including Playgroup, Nursery, Pre-K, and Transitional Kindergarten, all designed to support social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. The school emphasizes parent participation and aligns its curriculum with New York State Early Learning Standards.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Enrichment Classes
After-school extension classes including Literacy and Art, Yoga, Spanish, Drama, Music Workshop, Martial Arts, and STEM Lab to supplement core programs.
Nursery (3 year olds)
Three-day weekly morning program for 3 year olds emphasizing child-initiated and teacher-facilitated activities, outdoor play, and social-emotional development with parent involvement.
Playgroup (2 year olds)
Twice-weekly morning program for children age 2, designed as a gradual separation process with parent participation, focusing on hands-on play and developmental readiness.
Pre-K (4 year olds)
Four-day extended-day program preparing children for kindergarten through play-based learning, literacy and math foundations, and social skills development aligned with state standards.
Transitional Kindergarten (TK)
Full-week program for children turning five between August and March, offering a bridge to kindergarten with a focus on academic, social, and emotional readiness in a play-based environment.
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Play-Based Early Childhood Education 4 activities
    • After-school and extension enrichment classes
      Provides after-school and extension classes for enrolled students, including Literacy and Art, Yoga, Spanish, Drama, Music Workshop, Martial Arts, and STEM Lab, designed to extend learning and prepare children for longer kindergarten days.
    • Age-specific educational programs: Playgroup, Nursery, Pre-K, and Transitional Kindergarten
      Offers four distinct programs by age group: a twice-weekly playgroup for 2-year-olds; a three-day-per-week nursery program for 3-year-olds with up to 18 children per class; a four-day Pre-K program for 4-year-olds; and a full-week Transitional Kindergarten program for children turning five between August and March, serving as a bridge to kindergarten. Each program is staffed by certified teachers and includes parent participation.
    • Play-based early childhood education programs
      Provides play-based early childhood education for children ages 2 to 5 through a nursery school model emphasizing sensory engagement, exploration, and relationship-building. Programs include structured outdoor play daily and use of hands-on learning tools such as resident lizards and recommended play materials to support cognitive, physical, and social development.
    • Recommended toy and play material guidance
      Provides families with curated lists of recommended toys and materials such as unit blocks, Magna Tiles, beads and lacing, and wind-up toys to support creative and fine motor skill development at home.
  • School and School-Community Events 1 activity
    • Annual fundraising events
      Organizes annual fundraising events to support school operations and strengthen community bonds among families and staff.
  • Family-School Engagement Programs 1 activity
    • Family engagement through classroom participation
      Invites families to participate in the classroom on a rotating basis during the school year through a program called "Special Day," fostering family-school connections.
  • Summer Day Camp Programs 1 activity
    • Summer early childhood education sessions
      Runs summer sessions offering continued early childhood education, currently operating with wait-list availability.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$722K
Contributions & grants$173K24%
Program service revenue$431K60%
Investment income$65K9%
Other revenue$53K
expenses
Total expenses$470K
Program expenses97%
Admin / overhead3%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$382K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$876K
Cash$721K
Investments$0
Liabilities$228K
Net assets$648K
Liquid reserves18.4 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +44.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
FRANCESCA COHN Director 30 $53K
relationships · 5

Who they work with

  • NYSED Early Learning Department Government — Registered with NYSED Early Learning Department; curriculum aligns with state learning standards.
  • New York Department of Education Government — Registered with the New York Department of Education and employs state-certified head teachers in compliance with state requirements.
  • New York Department of Education Government — Registration agency for the nursery school
  • New York State Office of Children and Family Services Government — Licensing agency for the nursery school
  • Office of Children and Family Services Government — Licensed by OCFS, which governs safety standards for childcare programs.
strategies · 2

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Parent-Involved Cooperative Education Model
    methodology: parent_cooperative_model
    By integrating parents into classroom activities, governance, and financial oversight, we strengthen child development and institutional resilience, because direct family participation deepens parent-child bonds, enhances emotional well-being, and builds a stable, community-supported educational environment.
  • Play-Based Learning for Holistic Development
    methodology: play_based_learning
    By using play as the primary mode of learning, we develop children's cognitive, social, emotional, and motor skills, because hands-on, self-directed exploration fosters risk-taking, creativity, and deep engagement without fear of failure. This approach is grounded in developmental theory, including Piaget’s understanding that children learn best through active, first-hand experiences.