Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Schools Have Dozens of Empty Pre-K Seats as Others Waitlist Hundreds

By Janet Upadhye | September 8, 2014 8:37am
 As of Wednesday night there were more than 30 seats available at P.S. 307, but officials are hopeful that those seats will be filled.
As of Wednesday night there were more than 30 seats available at P.S. 307, but officials are hopeful that those seats will be filled.
View Full Caption
DNAinfo.com/Janet Upadhye

FORT GREENE — Several public schools in the Fort Greene and Clinton Hill area had dozens of pre-K seats sitting empty on the first day of class — while nearby institutions had hundreds of children on waitlists.

The city boosted the number of pre-K seats at P.S. 307 Daniel Hale Williams, at 209 York St., in Vinegar Hill, from 24 to 100 this year, but the school is struggling to fill the extra spots, despite last year's shutdown of the popular program at nearby P.S. 8.

As of Wednesday night there were more than 30 seats available at the school, which sits across from the Farragut Houses. Still, officials are hopeful that those seats will soon be filled.

"Today went really well," Chris Ferrara, business manager for the school, said Thursday. "Parents and children were all smiling and we are certain the extra seats will be filled in upcoming days."

READ MORE PRE-K COVERAGE:

Islamic school's pre-K canceled by city reopens as private program

Pre-Ks closed by city are under investigation for "integrity issues"

School with 144 pre-K seats sits unfinished days before school starts

Ferrara added that the school, which historically only served children who live in the Farragut Houses because of zoning, now had pre-K students from several nearby neighborhoods including Park Slope, DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights.

Parents can continue to register at P.S. 307, at 209 York St., Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

P.S. 270 Johann DeKalb, located at 241 Emerson Place, also had seats available, according to a large sign posted Thursday outside the school. Another sign in the school's entrance advised parents to register from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily for the extra seats.

It is unclear how many seats are still available.

But less than a mile away, the pre-K at P.S. 11 Purvis J. Behan, the most sought-after program in Fort Greene last year, was full and the school had a "very long " waitlist, according to officials.

Parents continue to take their chances with the waitlist, hoping to grab a last-minute seat at the coveted school — and sometimes they catch a break.

“We applied to eight schools in three districts and didn’t get into any of them,” parent Tanya Pierre, whose daughter attends P.S. 11, told DNAinfo New York last year.

“Finally two weeks into the school year a space opened up — we got lucky.”

DNAinfo New York rounded up a list of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill area pre-K programs with information from school officials about waitlists and empty seats.

P.S. 20 Clinton Hill, 225 Adelphi St., Fort Greene
Pre-K seats: 36
Waitlist: At least 300 students

P.S. 11 Purvis J. Behan, 41 Waverly Ave., Clinton Hill
Pre-K seats: 54
Waitlist: The list is "very long," according to school officials.

P.S. 307 Daniel Hale Williams, 209 York St., Vinegar Hill
Pre-K seats: 100
Open spots: 35 as of Wednesday night.

P.S. 270 Johann DeKalb, 241 Emerson Place, Clinton Hill
Pre-K seats: 54
Open spots: Several seats were available, but it was unclear exactly how many.

P.S. 287 Bailey K. Ashford, 50 Navy St., Fort Greene
Pre-K seats: 54
Open spots: "Many seats are still empty," according to school officials.

P.S. 46 Edward C. Blum, 100 Clermont Ave., Fort Greene
Pre-K seats: 54
Waitlist: Fewer than 100 children

P.S. 67 Charles A. Dorsey, 51 St. Edwards St., Fort Greene
Pre-K seats: 18
Waitlist: 5