New York City is home to the largest public school system in the country. With some 1,500 schools serving more than 1.1 million kids, the system is so large that its student population outpaces the number of residents in several states including Delaware and Vermont. Finding a good school amidst such a massive bureaucracy can be a challenge for even the most intrepid of New Yorkers. For newcomers to the city's schools, it's simply overwhelming. Yet armed with the right information and resources, every parent can make informed choices about their child's education.

This site, Insideschools, can help. No other city has an independent resource that covers the public schools the way we do. Our school search tool, basic information on a wide range of education topics, news articles,and blog offer New Yorkers a comprehensive guide to public education.

The Department of Education

The New York City Department of Education (DOE) is the agency in charge of the public schools. Headed by a chancellor, who is appointed by the mayor, the department is organized into 32 community districts that govern kindergarten through 8th grade education for a specific geographical area. Each community district is headed by a superintendent. An additional citywide district, known as District 75, oversees the education of students with severe disabilities in grades kindergarten through 12.

The administration of public high schools in the city is separate from the other grades. There are nine high school superintendents, with at least one in every borough, each charged with overseeing the high schools in their assigned area.

The Office of Student Enrollment Planning and Operations (OSEPO) oversees admissions for pre-kindergarten though high school,including special educaton and gifted and talented programs. OSEPO has enrollment offices in every borough. Each enrollment office covers a few districts, thus may or may not be in the same location as your district office.

For more information read our article on the most recent reorganization of the DOE.

Who may attend New York City public schools?

Any child between the ages of five and 21 who has not already received a high school diploma is entitled to a free public education. This includes undocumented immigrants, children with disabilities and older teenagers who haven't been successful in school. In New York City, students are not required to attend school until the first grade. However, your child may enroll in public school in September of the year that she turns five.

For more information read our page on who may attend public school in New York City.

Planning to move to New York City?

If you are planning to move to New York City, you may be able to tour schools ahead of time, but you will not be able to register your child for public school until you actually live in the city. Neighborhood schools will not hold spots for non-residents. Likewise, enrollment offices will not place a student in a school, or accept applications to schools and special programs such as gifted and talented, if he doesn't reside in New York City. Non-residents, however, can attend New York City public schools if they are willing to pay tuition set by the Department of Education and spelled out in a city regulation.

If you find a school that meets your family's needs and want to rent or buy a home in its zone, or catchment area, as it is sometimes called, you'll need to do your homework. The best way to find out if a home is within a particular school's zoned area is simply to call the school. Tell them the exact address (house number and street name) and the school secretary or parent coordinator should be able to tell you if it's zoned for the school. You can also call the City of New York at 311 or the central Office of Student Enrollment Planning and Operations at (212) 374-2363 to double check.

You can read more about the residency requirements here. Also check out our How to enroll page, which lists the documents you'll need to register your child for school.

Already live in New York City?

Where and how you enroll your child for school depends upon several factors: grade upon enrollment, what type of program you want and where you live.

Before you start the process, take a look at The Basics. Check out our pages on How to enroll and Who may attend. Use our Find a School section to search for schools by location or grade level.

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Pre-kindergarten

As of March 2008, pre-K admission is handled through a citywide, uniform application process overseen by the enrollment office.

To be eligible for pre-K programs, children must turn 4 years old by Dec. 31 of the year of their enrollment. There are too few pre-K programs to accommodate all applicants so there is no guarantee there will be a spot for every child. Parents can pick up applications and directories of pre-K programs at public schools, community organizations, or borough enrollment offices or access them online. Registration takes place in the spring and summer.

See our Applying to pre-kindergarten guide, for more information.

Elementary Schools

The general rule is that your child has a "right" to attend his zoned school. Call the City of New York at 311 to find out if you have a zoned school, call the central Office of Student Enrollment Planning and Operations at (212) 374-2363, or e-mail that office. Most students in the city attend their zoned elementary school.

Enrollment for a zoned elementary school has traditionally been done at the school, with kindergarten registration generally occuring in the spring. However, the Department of Education announced in 2008 that it is considering centralizing enrollment and handling it through a citywide, uniform application process, similar to pre-K. Stay tuned to Insideschools for updates.

There is a standardized citywide process for applying to gifted and talented programs. There are also unzoned schools, meaning those that accept students from a broader area such as an entire district or borough or citywide rather than a specific zone. Contact those schools directly for admissions procedures or check our school profiles in Find a NYC Public School. Registration requirements for those schools may also change and become centralized.

For more information, read our pages on Applying to elementary schools and Types of Schools. You can also pick up a copy of New York City's Best Public Elementary Schools, by Clara Hemphill and the Insideschools staff.

Middle Schools

In some school districts most students attend their zoned middle schools. In other districts there are no longer zoned schools and all students must fill out an application ranking their choices.To find out if you have a zoned middle school, call the City of New York at 311 or the central Office of Student Enrollment Planning and Operations at (212) 374-2363 or e-mail that office.

In every borough there are at least a few schools that accept children without regard to their home address. There are also selective middle schools for which students must meet certain criteria for entrance. Learn your options by reading our Applying to middle schools and Types of schools pages. You may want to pick up a copy of New York City's Best Public Middle Schools, by Clara Hemphill and the Insideschools staff.

High Schools

There are more than 400 high schools in New York City. The Department of Education's high school directory lists admission criteria for each school and describes the application process which, unlike elementary and middle school applications, is the same throughout the city. There is one application, usually due in late November or early December.

If you move to New York City during the school year and need to enroll in high school you will need to go to your local enrollment office. If you have questinos, you may try e-mailing the central office in charge of high school admissions. Search for schools that interest you by using our Find a NYC Public School section. You can also pick up a copy of New York City's Best Public High Schools, by Clara Hemphill and the Insideschools staff.

For more information, see our section on Applying to high schools.

Specialized high schools admissions for newcomers

If you are an incoming 9th or 10th grader new to the city, you are eligible to take the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) for eight test-in selective high schools known as "specialized high schools", or audition for two arts schools: Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts (also considered a specialized high school) and Art and Design. For 8th and 9th graders living in New York City, the main round of the SHSAT is given in late October or early November. For newcomers to the city, an additional testing date, as well as a date for auditions, is scheduled for late summer. Check with an enrollment office for information about the August test and auditions. See also our information about specialized high schools in our page on selective schools.

Charter Schools

Charter schools are publicly funded, but do not fall under the auspices of the Department of Education. They can be started by any number of entities — community residents, including parents or teachers, community leaders or educational organizations - and, as their name suggests, must earn a charter, meaning state or city authorization, in order to function as a school. In New York City there are three chartering authorities: the state university system, the state Board of Regents, and the city's schools chancellor.

For more information, check out our Charter Schools section. Use our Find a NYC Public School section to search for charter schools by location or grade level.

Students learning English

Students who are learning to speak English, sometimes referred to as English language learners (ELL) have a right to receive bilingual education or English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction.

For more information, read our page on ESL instruction. Use our Find a NYC Public School to search for schools and programs designed for new immigrants.

Students with special needs

Special education is a set of services including specially designed instruction, related services, supplemental aids and supports, and transition services that children with disabilities have a right to receive to meet their individualized needs. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law governing the delivery of special education services. Students with disabilities may also be entitled to special accommodations or services under another disability law know as Section 504.

For more information, read our guides for Special Education and Section 504. Use our Find a NYC School to search for programs run by District 75, the citywide district overseeing studentswith severe disabilities. If you child needs special services, but belongs in a regular, general education environment, use our Find a NYC Public School to find schools in your neighborhood and beyond that offer special education classes and services.

Advocates for Children of New York, the parent organization of Insideschools.org, is committed to ensuring that underserved and at-risk children get the services they're entitled to under the law. If you have any questions about getting your child services or have encountered obstacles that you can't seem to overcome, call Advocates for Children's Education Help Line, operating Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., at (866) 427-6033.

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