Brooklyn Schools 101: How to Get Into the Public Elementary School of Your Choice

School applications. Ugh. Cue backstabbing, pushy parents hiring tutors to get their 3-year-olds into the “right” private preschools so that one day they may be accepted into Harvard. But it’s really not that bad, at least not in Brooklyn.

There are a number of strong public schools in New York City — many of them better than private schools elsewhere in the country. And one perk of city life, as opposed to the suburbs, is your kid has at least some opportunity to attend almost any one.

In other words, there’s a lot of choice. But so much choice can also be daunting.

Here is Brownstoner’s step-by-step guide to finding and getting into the public elementary school of your choosing.

Photo by Barbara Eldredge

Plan Ahead

To enroll your child in public elementary school in Brooklyn, you must apply. If you apply in time for kindergarten, you’ll have the best chance of getting your child into the school of your choice because the classes have the most open spots at that time — they are all open.

(Incidentally, if your child is planning to attend pre-k, you must also apply to that, but it doesn’t stick. You still have to apply to kindergarten.)

Parents should start making plans at least a year in advance. A child is eligible to attend kindergarten the year he or she turns 5. Applications are due the winter before.

So, for example, if your child turns 5 in January 2016, he or she will start kindergarten in September 2016. The application is due January 15. But you need to start planning now.

Find Your Zone and District

A zone is the geographical area whose residents may attend the school. A district is larger than a zone. Districts encompass several neighborhoods and many schools. If your zoned school is overcrowded, you may be put on a waiting list. But generally, children in the zone are given priority over others.

Not all schools have a zone. The Earth School on the Lower East Side, for example, is not zoned, so it gives equal weight to children who apply to it from the entire district. District 1 and 7 in Manhattan and District 23 in East New York are choice districts, which means there are no zoned schools.

Children who apply to a school inside their district may also be given priority over others who apply from outside the district.

You will find your zone and district using the Department of Education’s search tool.

Visit Potential Schools

Schools throughout the city hold tours and open houses at various times throughout the year. November and December are common times to visit, in preparation for the January 15 application deadline.

Research Schools

The DOE offers kindergarten information sessions about the process in December. Read more about it on the DOE website.

For more information about which schools to apply to, consult the DOE’s kindergarten directory.

More information may also be found at nonprofit Insideschools. This online guide features information about every public school in New York City, including stats on attendance and test scores, and parent comments.

You can also hire a school consultant. Some may scoff at the notion, but an expert can help parents sort through overwhelming amounts of information quickly.

Consultants look for schools that are changing and have space but are not already so well known they are overcrowded and already have wait lists of students in zone.

A consultant will match you up with a list of five or six schools that meet your particular needs and where you are likely to get in.

Photo by Mary Hautman

What to Look for in a School

Test scores are important, but they don’t tell the whole story. A convenient location, a school that “feels” right, or special programs may also be important.

Some schools have Gifted & Talented programs, dual-language programs or other unusual offerings, such as courses in robotics.

Pay special attention to schools that have lots of fun books, not just textbooks, displays of artwork created by students, visible samples of student writing even in low grades, and evidence of hands-on learning such as pets and plants, according to Insideschools.

Parents should also consider the principal: A good leader can turn around a troubled school and a poor one can harm a school, according to Insideschools.

Apply for Schools

Once you have selected your top choices, you can apply online, by phone or in person. To apply online, you fill out one application online at the Department of Education’s Student Enrollment Management System. You may list as many as 12 schools, in order of preference.

To apply in person, go to a Family Welcome Center. There are four in Brooklyn. You will find the addresses on the DOE website.

To apply by telephone, call (718) 935-2400.

The much-vaunted P.S. 321 in Park Slope. Photo by Cate Corcoran

Wait for the Results

You will get your answer in March. If you are waitlisted, you may find out you got in as late as September — or even October, after school has already started.

“All the in-district kids have to be accepted and then bail and go elsewhere throughout the summer before we have a shot at getting in which usually takes until September or October — that’s how long kids are trading up to better schools as spaces open up,” said a Brownstoner reader.

Lobby for Acceptance

If you are waitlisted, you can lobby the principal at your top school or schools to accept you.

One Brownstoner reader who lives in Bed Stuy met with a consultant and applied to 12 schools. All were out of district, and the child was waitlisted at every one.

The parents set up meetings with the principals at the two or three schools highest on their wish list. Finally, in August, they were accepted at their top school.

Accept and Register

If you are accepted, you must register or you will lost your spot. To register, you go to the school in person.

If you accept, you will remain on the waitlist for any school you listed as a higher choice.

[Top photo: Barbara Eldredge]

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