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Navigating New York City’s school system is not for the faint of heart, even if your child is just beginning their schooling. To get a seat in kindergarten, families have to submit an application, and this year, for the first time, can rank as many choices as they want.
Kindergarten applications opened Tuesday, and families have until Jan. 23 to apply. Those who apply by the deadline will receive an offer on March 31.
Of last year’s 46,373 applicants, 83% got their first choice, while 95% got one of their top three choices, according to Education Department data. About 2% were placed in schools they didn’t rank on their applications.
The application process often comes with many questions. Chalkbeat talked with experts to help answer some of the most common ones.
Who is eligible?
All children born in 2021 are eligible to start kindergarten in September 2026.
That means while the majority of children will be 5 years old by the start of the school year, about a third of them will still be 4, making New York City an outlier in terms of how young some kids are when they start kindergarten. In most places across the nation, the cutoff age is 5 by the time school starts.
Though some families might prefer to “redshirt” their children who are born later in the calendar year — and have them delay kindergarten until they’re a year older— New York City public schools rarely allow the practice.
How do I apply?
You can apply online through MySchools.nyc. There you’ll also find school information such as the nearest subway lines, what percentage of parents are satisfied with the school, whether early dropoff and free afterschool are available, and more.
You can also call 718-935-2009 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays or visit the closest Family Welcome Center for assistance.
Do I have a zoned school?
Out of the 32 districts in New York City, all but three are divided into zones. These zoned districts give admissions priority to families that live within the zone.
Sibling priority also might affect your odds of getting into a school. Most schools will give priority to children who live in that zone or district and have a sibling at the school.
Children who are currently enrolled in a pre-K program that is not at their zoned school may also get priority above other children who are not zoned for that school.
Districts 1 in Manhattan, 7 in the Bronx, and 23 in Brooklyn do not have zoned schools. If you live in one of those districts, you will have admissions priority to all the schools in your district or area (though District 7 is divided into north and south).
District 1 schools also reserve a percentage of seats for students in temporary housing, students who speak a language other than English at home, and students who qualify for free or reduced lunch.
How can I research schools?
A main concern parents have is whether their neighborhood school is “good,” said Pamela Wheaton, a NYC education consultant who helps parents navigate the school system. She said this can mean different things for different families, so it’s best to take some time and research school options.
To find more granular details about a particular school, Inside Schools provides “parent-to-parent” information, including reviews based on site visits and descriptions of what a typical day might look like, said Lydie Raschka, a former elementary school teacher who now works at the nonprofit website. You can also find annual school survey results and test score data on Inside Schools.
Experts strongly suggest families visit schools’ open houses.
“Once you’re in the school, it dispels some of the other worries, fears you may have,” Raschka said. It’s also a great time to ask questions to the principal or parent coordinators.
Some things to look out for during tours include the work on the walls, whether children look happy and engaged, how quiet or noisy the atmosphere is, and more.
Tour options can be found on MySchools.nyc, but if they’re not, you can call the school or see if it has tour information on its website.
If a school does not have tour options before the application deadline, Wheaton suggested families still visit the school at pick-up or drop-off time to “get a sense of what other parents think of the school.”
What if I want to explore options outside of my district?
If the schools in your district and zone are not your preference, you can still apply to other schools.
MySchools includes the number of seats a school had last year and the number of applicants, though it doesn’t include how many students were accepted outside of a school’s zone. That data does exist publicly, if you want to dig into a spreadsheet: In the Education Department’s annual diversity report you can find how many kids attend outside of the school’s zone and its district. (Check the “Grades K-8 School” tab.)
There are gifted and talented programs as well. Although the Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has said that he would like to phase out gifted and talented programs that start in kindergarten, it is unlikely that anything will change for this application cycle.
The gifted and talented program has shifted in recent years from a test-based system to one based on teacher recommendations. But the application varies depending on whether your child currently attends pre-K. If so, your child will be evaluated for eligibility by their current pre-K teacher.
If your child isn’t in pre-K, the DOE will contact applicants who select gifted and talented programs to set up interviews. Early childhood education experts will evaluate the child holistically based on the interviews.
Last year, 85% of children who applied for gifted programs were deemed eligible by their pre-K teachers.
Due to limited capacity, not all eligible children will receive offers but if your child is eligible, they may be placed on waitlists, according to the Education Department.
There are also charter schools, which are public schools that are privately run. Charter school applications are found here.
Does the order in which I list schools matter?
Yes. Schools should be listed in order of preference.
Some parents, Wheaton said, may prefer a school they are not zoned for but feel that they have no chance of getting in, so they rank it after their zoned school.
Wheaton warns against this.
“Even if it’s a long shot,” she said, “if that is your actual first choice, rank it first.”
This is because even if you don’t receive your first choice, your child will be put on a waitlist for all the schools you listed higher than the one where your child is offered a seat.
And make sure to accept the offer you receive, as it won’t change your waitlist status at other schools, according to Advocates for Children of New York.
What if I changed my mind after submitting an application?
If you already submitted an application for your child but want to edit the order you listed the schools, you can edit the application anytime as long as it’s before the Jan. 23 deadline.
What if I move after the deadline?
Whether you’re moving into New York City after January or moving to a different neighborhood in the city, the first thing to know is that your child will still be guaranteed a kindergarten seat.
If you’re moving to a different neighborhood than the one you applied in, your child will still be able to get into a school that aligns with your new address as long as there is space in those schools.
For assistance, you can contact a Family Welcome Center.
Overall, there’s a balance between doing your homework and trusting your instincts, Raschka said.
“Do your research, ask questions, but trust your gut — parents often just know what feels right for their child and family,” Raschka said.
Jessica Shuran Yu is a New York City-based journalist. You can reach her atjshuranyu@chalkbeat.org.
