Apply to NYC kindergarten by Jan 15th

A classroom at PS 166 in Queens. Photo:  NYC Department of Education

A classroom at PS 166 in Queens. Photo: NYC Department of Education

The kindergarten application process is officially underway! All students born in 2011 who currently live in New York City are eligible to attend kindergarten in September 2016.

The announcement was made by NYC Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña in a press statement.

All families, including those of students with disabilities and current pre-k students, must submit an application in order to receive a kindergarten placement. Admission is not first-come, first-served. All applications received by the January 15 deadline are treated the same, according to schools’ admissions priorities.

Families are able to apply in one of three ways:
-Online at nyc.gov/schools/kindergarten. The online application is available in ten languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Korean, Haitian Creole, Bengali, Urdu and French)
-Over the phone, by calling 718-935-2400. Families can access translation services over the phone in over 200 languages
-In person at one of the DOE’s Family Welcome Centers. (See list below) Families can find their local Family Welcome Center by visiting the website.

Families looking for more information about the application process should review the kindergarten directory which is available online, and translated into nine languages. Additionally, for the first time, hard copies of translated directories are available for all families who need one. Families looking for translated hard copies can find them at Family Welcome Centers or at local pre-K programs that are part of the City’s Pre-K for All Program.

Filipinos are among the fastest growing ethnic populations in the city with thousands of families scattered across the five boroughs. Many of them live in Queens.

“Early education is the foundation for long-term academic success,” said Farina. “I urge all families to apply for kindergarten before the January 15 deadline. By making kindergarten offers earlier, this process is easier for families and will strengthen the transition between pre-K and kindergarten.”

welcome centers

red line



Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: