Feeling Lucky? Pre-K Registration Begins Today

Getting into some pre-K classes in New York City can be as difficult as being accepted to an Ivy League university. With admissions opening today for the 2013-2014 school year, everyone is talking about what your chances are of actually getting into a program, and sadly, the prospects are about as good as (or worse than) securing a summer camp or sports team in the city.

Children who turn 4 in 2013 are eligible for pre-K, which is free, can be either full- or half-day, and is available at public schools and at community-based organizations (CBO). Even though the city added 4,000 seats this year, which, the Daily News notes, gives us more pre-K than ever before, the demand still far outweighs the supply.

DNAinfo broke down the acceptance rate at the city’s pre-K programs in 2012, and while not as bad as some others, a look at some of the schools in our area is still pretty depressing:

PS 139: 203 kids applied for 36 seats (18% acceptance rate)
PS 217: 236 kids applied for 72 seats (31% acceptance rate)
PS 193: 201 kids applied for 18 seats (9% acceptance rate)
PS 245: 114 kids applied for 18 seats (16% acceptance rate)
PS K315: 107 kids applied for 36 seats (34% acceptance rate)
PS 249: 120 kids applied for 36 seats (30% acceptance rate)

Some mayoral candidates are taking this opportunity to share their plans for fixing the pre-K problem. Bill de Blasio wants to make it available to every NYC child — which would be paid for by taxing the rich. Christine Quinn thinks it can happen with federal, state, and city funding, and John Liu claims the city has enough unused state pre-K funds to create “tens of thousands of additional seats.”

In addition to the public schools, there are also several CBOs in our area, see the full list here. Unlike public school registration, most CBOs accept students on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you’re interested in that option, you should act soon.

Pre-K applications will be accepted through April 5, and you should expect to see an offer letter by early June. Good luck, parents!

Photo by the Department of Education