By Elizabeth Ladzinski
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — The Department of Education released its kindergarten wait lists Wednesday, leaving parents of 3,195 children across the city unsure of where their children would go to school.
The total number is up from 2,200 children on the lists this time last year, and a total of 157 schools had to resort to the lists, up from 112 in 2010, according to reports.
"We understand parents are anxious, but this is only the beginning of the admissions process and every single year we see wait lists shrink or disappear completely throughout the spring and summer," said Jack Zarin-Rosenfeld, a spokesman for the department, in a statement.
In Manhattan, P.S. 290 on the Upper East Side has 71 names, a decrease after last year's 91.
P.S. 87 and P.S. 199, both on the Upper West Side, have 48 and 60 children on their lists, respectively, reports said.
In Greenwich Village, P.S. 41 has 55 children on its list while P.S. 3 has 60.
The DOE said that the lists often shrink as children are placed into gifted and talented programs, charter schools, or accept private and parochial school offers.
Parents of children who stay on the waiting lists should receive an alternate placement offer from the DOE by the end of May, the department said.
