70 Percent of Families Get Top Pre-K School Choice

Mayor Bill de Blasio hand-delivered pre-K offer letters to New York City’s only 4-year-old quadruplets.

“It’s very expensive to take care for a school for my children,” said the mom of the quadruplets, Lenny Capellan. She called free pre-K a gift.

Close to 70,000 children signed up for a pre-K seat for next school year — about 17,000 more pre-K students than are currently enrolled.

Speaking at P.S. 5 in Washington Heights, the mayor said every family who signed up has a seat.

• 70% of families got their top school choice
• 83% got among their top 3 choices
• 85% got one of their 12 listed choices
• 15% got a seat that was not their choice

Mayor de Blasio said some of the families who did not get any of their listed choices didn’t list enough options.  

“There are parents who come up with their own strategies, which I do not advise, and put only one choice or put three choices,” de Blasio said. “Some think that they are advantaging themselves. A lot of those families end up disappointed.”

Those who did not get an offer to one of their listed choices will have another chance to apply. The second round of applications is June 22 through July 10.  

Pre-K offer letters for the first round are expected to go out on Wednesday.