City Comptroller Scott Stringer warned Thursday that he won’t release funds to pay for pre-K classes at hundreds of new centers created for Mayor de Blasio’s signature early-education program until their contracts are vetted for corruption and fraud.
Stringer said the de Blasio administration had provided only 190 contracts to date, with 105 reviewed and approved by his office before classes started Thursday.
De Blasio’s free pre-K program for city kids comprises 1,700 centers run by 1,000 different vendors, according to the Department of Education.
“We have not received anywhere near the contracts we need, which is just troubling,” Stringer said. “I’m going to make sure that the issues related to safety and financing and integrity are being dealt with.”
A de Blasio spokesman said late Thursday that 311 contracts have been delivered.