Ready for Kindergarten?

Have a child in NYC who will turn five years old in 2020?

Then, get ready, because New York City residents with children born in 2015 can start applying for fall 2020 admission to NYC’s public elementary schools (Grades K–5).

From now until Tuesday, January 21, 2020, you can access your child’s application in MySchools and select up to 12 of your preferred school options from the hundreds available across the five boroughs or elementary schools near your home.

Who can apply to kindergarten?

• City families with children born in 2015 (who will turn five in 2020);
• Children new to NYC schools;
• Current pre-k students (district schools, Pre-K Centers, NYC Early Education Centers, charter schools, private schools, and parochial schools);
• Students who move to the City during the admissions process;
• Students with disabilities;
• Multilingual learners; and
• Students in temporary housing.

And with hundreds of elementary schools across the City, NYC families have access to great program options. To find the public elementary schools located in your neighborhood or school district, use MySchools, and then learn more about any school’s overall performance by checking out its School Quality Snapshot.

In addition, many of our elementary schools are holding open houses throughout December 2019 and January 2020; check out the “View Our Open House Calendar” section on our Kindergarten Enrollment page for dates and times.

Once you’ve identified schools that you would like your child to be placed into, you can apply for kindergarten in three different ways:

• Online with MySchools — Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• In person at your local Family Welcome Center — Open Monday through Friday; check our website for locations and hours
• Over the phone at (718) 935-2009 — Available Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.

Please note that kindergarten admissions are not first-come, first-served; all applications submitted online, by phone, or in person by the deadline will be treated the same, based on admissions priorities (i.e. school zone, sibling priorities, etc).

For more information, check out our online NYC Kindergarten Admissions Guide, or pick up a physical copy from your local Family Welcome Center. You may also contact our Elementary School Enrollment team at ESEnrollment@schools.nyc.gov.

Remember: the deadline to apply for kindergarten for fall 2020 is Tuesday, January 21, 2020, so mark your calendars, and submit your applications soon!