NYC Kindergarten Application: Zoned Schools, Documents, and Waitlists

The NYC kindergarten application for the 2026–2027 school year is open from December 9, 2025 through January 23, 2026, and any child born in 2021 who lives in the five boroughs can apply through the MySchools online portal at myschools.nyc. You rank the programs you want in order of preference, submit, and wait. Offer letters go out on March 31, 2026, and you then pre-register at the offered school with proof-of-age, two proofs of address, and your child’s completed health form by the deadline printed on the letter.1NYC Public Schools. Kindergarten

Who Can Apply

A child is eligible for NYC kindergarten if they turn five by December 31 of the year they start school. For 2026–2027, that means every child born in calendar year 2021, including kids who will still be four when classes start in September.2NYC Public Schools. Kindergarten Enrollment The child must live in New York City. All five boroughs qualify.

Immigration status does not matter and schools are not permitted to ask about it. Chancellor’s Regulation A-101 bars staff from requesting documentation of a child’s or parent’s citizenship or immigration status, and no reference to immigration status may appear on school forms or records.3NYC Public Schools. Chancellor’s Regulation A-101 Parents who do not speak English have the right to free interpretation and translated enrollment documents at any Family Welcome Center and at the school itself.4Advocates for Children of New York. Translation and Interpretation Services in New York City Public Schools

How to Submit the Application

You can file the application three ways:

  • Online at myschools.nyc. Create an account, add your child’s name, date of birth, and home address, then browse programs and build your ranked list.
  • By phone at 718-935-2009, Monday through Friday. A representative will walk you through it.
  • In person at a Family Welcome Center in your borough. Staff will search for schools with you and submit the application on the spot.

No documents are required to apply. You will need them later, at pre-registration, but the application itself is just information you enter.

Find Your Zoned School First

Most addresses are zoned for a specific elementary school, and living in that zone gives your child a strong admissions priority there. Enter your home address in MySchools and the system will identify your district and your zoned school if one exists. A few districts, including District 1 in lower Manhattan, do not use zones and admit district-wide. The address you enter determines every priority your child receives, so it needs to match the residency documents you plan to bring to pre-registration.

Build Your Ranked List

There is no cap on the number of programs you can list, and ranking more schools gives the system more chances to match your child.5NYC Public Schools. Submitting a Kindergarten Application in MySchools Put your top choice first. The system tries to place your child at the highest-ranked school where a seat is available given their priority group, so listing a school lower on your list does not reduce your chances there. It only means your higher choices are tried first.

Save the confirmation receipt the system generates after you submit.

How Offers Are Decided

Kindergarten seats are not first-come, first-served. When more families apply to a school than it has seats, offers go in priority order, and the order depends on whether the school is zoned.

Zoned Schools

Children in the school’s zone come first. Within that group, kids with a sibling already enrolled at the school for the coming year go ahead of other zoned students. After zoned applicants, the order runs: in-district students with siblings, out-of-district students with siblings, students currently in the school’s pre-K program, then all remaining applicants with in-district before out-of-district.6NYC Public Schools. Kindergarten Admission Priorities

Non-Zoned Schools

Schools without zones use a shorter order: in-district siblings, out-of-district siblings, pre-K attendees, then everyone else. Districts 1, 7, and 23 run their own variations, and some schools participate in Diversity in Admissions programs that set aside roughly two-thirds of seats for students in temporary housing, English Language Learners, and families qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.6NYC Public Schools. Kindergarten Admission Priorities

Sibling priority only applies if the older child is pre-registered and enrolled for the upcoming year at the time you submit. Students with accessibility needs also receive priority consideration.

Documents to Have Ready for Pre-Registration

Gather these before offers go out so you are not scrambling in April.

Proof of Age

One document showing your child’s date of birth: a birth certificate, passport, or record of baptism.7NYC Public Schools. Required Documents for School Registration

Two Proofs of Address

You need two documents linking a parent or guardian to your NYC address. Mixing types is fine. Accepted items include:7NYC Public Schools. Required Documents for School Registration

  • Lease, deed, or mortgage statement for your residence.
  • Gas or electric bill from Con Edison or National Grid dated within the last 60 days.
  • Water bill for your residence dated within the last 90 days.
  • Cable television bill in your name dated within the last 60 days.
  • Letter from a government agency (IRS, NYCHA, HRA, ACS, or similar) on official letterhead dated within the last 60 days.
  • Current property tax bill for your residence.
  • Rent receipt with your address dated within the last 60 days.
  • Unexpired NYS driver’s license, non-driver ID, or learner’s permit showing your current address.
  • Unexpired government-issued ID, including IDNYC, showing your address.
  • Income tax form from the last calendar year.
  • Pay stub or payroll receipt from your employer with your home address, dated within the last 60 days.
  • Voter registration documents showing your name and address.

Families subletting or sharing housing may be asked to submit an additional residency affidavit, which requires notarization.

The CH-205 Health Form

Every student needs a completed Child and Adolescent Health Examination Form (CH-205), filled out by a licensed medical provider. It covers a full physical, developmental screening, vision and hearing tests, dental assessment, lead screening, and immunization history.8NYC Public Schools. Child and Adolescent Health Examination Form Schedule the appointment early. Pediatrician offices get flooded with these every spring. New York State Public Health Law requires specific immunizations (DTaP, polio, MMR, hepatitis B, and varicella) before a child can attend school, and the school cannot admit a student with incomplete records aside from narrow medical exemptions and exceptions for students in temporary housing.9NYC Public Schools. Immunization Requirements for School Year 2025-26

What Happens After Offers Go Out

Offer letters are released on March 31, 2026.10Advocates for Children of New York. Kindergarten Admissions: A Guide for Families of Children Born in 2021 The letter names the school your child was offered a seat at and lists any schools where your child was placed on a waitlist. To secure the seat, contact the offered school and pre-register by the deadline printed on the letter. Bring your proof-of-age document, two proofs of address, and the CH-205 form. Your child does not need to be present.11NYC Public Schools. Questions about Kindergarten Offers

Missing the pre-registration deadline can cost you the seat. If you cannot reach the school in time, email ESEnrollment@Schools.nyc.gov for help.

Waitlists

Your child is automatically waitlisted at every school you ranked higher than the one where they received an offer. You do not need to activate anything. If a seat opens at a higher-ranked school, the system moves your child up, and accepting or declining your current offer has no effect on your waitlist positions.11NYC Public Schools. Questions about Kindergarten Offers You can also contact other schools directly and ask to be added to their waitlists, even schools you did not originally rank. Waitlists stay active through the summer and into the start of the school year.

No Appeal

There is no formal appeal for kindergarten placement. If you are unhappy with your offer, the waitlist is your path to a different school.11NYC Public Schools. Questions about Kindergarten Offers This is why ranking carefully matters. A long list gives the system more chances to place your child somewhere you are comfortable with.

If You Miss the Application Window

Families who move to the city after January 23, 2026 or who miss the window for any reason are not shut out. You can add your child to waitlists through MySchools after the application period closes, call 718-935-2009, or visit a Family Welcome Center. Once waitlists expire later in the summer, the DOE directs families to contact schools directly about available seats.11NYC Public Schools. Questions about Kindergarten Offers Every child who lives in NYC is guaranteed a public school seat. Missing the deadline affects your choices, not your right to enroll.

Students in Temporary Housing

Different rules apply to families experiencing homelessness. Under the federal McKinney-Vento Act and Chancellor’s Regulation A-780, students in temporary housing cannot be denied enrollment for lacking documents. No proof of address, birth certificate, or immunization records are required to start school.12NYC Public Schools. Students in Temporary Housing Temporary housing covers staying doubled-up with friends or relatives, living in a shelter or hotel, sleeping in a car or public space, and unaccompanied youth not in a parent or guardian’s physical custody. These students can stay at their current school or enroll at their zoned school and are eligible for transportation assistance. The school should provide a Housing Questionnaire to identify available support.