How does the NYC school enrollment work? (neighborhood, best schools)

[jrlb522]

I might move to NYC for a job and have two elementary school-aged daughters. I've read a little about schools there and it seems that you attend elementary school based on your location, but after that you apply -- but might not get into the nearest junior high or high school. That's somewhat unsettling to me. Anyone might know more about how this works?

[citylove101]

Yes most kids enroll in and attend their neighborhood school for elementary, which is K-5 in most of the city. (Although some nabes, usually outside of Manhattan, have K-6, 6-12, and K-8 setups.) Some other exceptions are "gifted programs," which require yr chld to be tested. Some gifted programs are in yr district, others may accept kids citywide and be nowhere near where you live. Just depends.

For middle school in Manhattan, yes there are NO assigned neighborhood schools and everykid must apply. Parents attack this like applying to college, taking their kids on middle school tours, checking out the best schools and deciding whwere and what order to apply to schools--and, sometimes, how to factor in possible catholic or private school applications on top of them. Kids MUST list the (public) schools they want in order of preference they want. They then get ONE acceptance. The day the placements go out can be heartbreaking, with kids not accepted anywhere reduced to tears. They have to scramble to find a middle school, though every kid is guaranteed a place somewhere.

Outside of Manhattan there are some zoned neighborhood middle schools, generally in Staten Island, Riverdale, large swaths of Queens IIRC. I think that kids in Brooklyn hve to apply like in Manhattan. But maybe someone else here knows for sure.

check out insideschools.org and the "basics" section and check out their school reviews. i don't always agree with their views of an individual school ( I have two in the public schools) but the site is a very good starting point for someone not familiar with city schools.