A Parent’s Guide to NYC Public School Kindergarten Placement
If you are reading this, congratulations on being a New Yorker…and an extra congratulations on embarking on the school choice process. Yes, it is true, NYC public school admissions are a tad confusing. But don’t let the bad rep fool you –there are countless great options for your family, and choice is a good thing!
Below, we break down everything you need to know about NYC public elementary school admissions, including how to use MySchools, what “zoned schools” really mean, and how to navigate Gifted & Talented (G&T) programs.
How NYC Kindergarten Admissions Work:
Here are the basic steps for applying to NYC public elementary schools:
Create a MySchools account.
Tour schools and attend open houses—if you’d like. These are encouraged but not required.
Rank the kindergarten programs you’d like your child to attend. (You can make changes anytime before the application deadline.)
Receive your placement offer. Your child will get one offer to the highest-ranked program possible, based on your priority group and a randomized lottery number.
Understanding Programs, Priority, and the “Lottery”
Programs vs. Schools: When you rank options, you’re actually ranking programs. If a school has multiple programs, such as both a general education and a Gifted & Talented (G&T) program, you can apply to each separately in MySchools.
Priority Groups: Schools admit students in order of categorical groupings. Common priority groups include:
Having a sibling currently enrolled
Attending that school for Pre-K
Living in the school’s zone
Lottery Numbers: Think of this as a tiebreaker. It only comes into play if there are more applicants than available seats within a specific priority group.
What is the difference between a school zone and a school district?
Every address in NYC is part of a school district (there are 32 across the city), which contains multiple zoned schools (with the exception of District 1, which does not have zoned schools).
One of these is your zoned school, where your child has the highest priority.
You also have some priority for other schools within your district.
While you can technically apply to schools outside your district, it’s less likely your child will receive an offer there.
How should I rank schools on my application?
Rank schools in your true order of preference. You are not penalized for how you rank a school, so always list your genuine top choices first.
Types of Public Elementary School Programs in NYC
Zoned Elementary Schools
Yes, NYC Public Elementary Schools are zoned. Zoned schools serve families who live within a defined geographic boundary. Your zoned school is where your child is most likely to receive a kindergarten offer. Some zoned schools also have room to make offers to children living outside of their zone. You can check how seats were filled last year using the MySchools School Search Tool, which shows how many out-of-zone students were offered seats.
Non-Zoned (Citywide or Boroughwide) Schools
Yes, there are also some non-zoned public school options in New York City. Citywide or boroughwide schools do not have a specific zone assigned to them. Most of these schools give priority to families who have siblings attending, who attended the school for pre-k, or reside in the school district. Some citywide or boroughwide schools have Gifted and Talented programs (more on that below). You can filter for non-zoned (city-wide) schools in the MySchools School Search Tool.
Gifted & Talented (G&T) Programs
Yes, New York City still offers public Gifted & Talented programs. Currently, there are about 2,500 G&T seats for approximately 70,000 age-eligible students citywide.
Most G&T programs exist within zoned schools, but do not prioritize zoned applicants. Some give in-district preference, while others are boroughwide or citywide.
How G&T Admissions Work
From a DOE Pre-K: Any child whose family ranks a G&T program on their kindergarten application will be evaluated by their current Pre-K teachers.
From a non-DOE Pre-K: Families who rank a G&T program will be contacted by a DOE representative to schedule a parent interview.
The NYC elementary school admissions process can seem like a maze, but with a clear understanding of the steps and program types, you can make confident, informed choices for your child.