Fewer than half of the four-year-olds who applied during the the second round of pre-kindergarten admissions in July got seats in public school programs, according to statistics released late yesterday by the Department of Education. There were 8,753 applicants and only 4,053 children -- 46% -- got a slot.  

Registration begins on Sept. 8, and goes through Sept. 16. Check the DOE's site for what you need to enroll your child. Make sure to bring your offer letter, your child’s birth certificate or passport, immunization records and two documents with proof of address.

In the first round of admissions last spring, 28,815 families applied to school pre-k programs but there was space for only 19,834 children, leaving some 9,000 applicants without a seat.

With burgeoning kindergarten population citywide and waitlists persisting at some of the most crowded schools, there have been cutbacks in pre-k programs. The Daily News reported that only half of the children promised seats in Brooklyn's PS 101 will get them. The rest will be bused to another school.

In the past two years, many schools continued to have pre-k seats open even late in October, but by the time school starts most families have made other arrangements for their pre-school children or are unable to commute to programs far from home or to half day programs. There are thousand of spots available in local YMCA's, Head Starts, and community organizations but some charge a fee for a full-day program.

We'd like to hear about your experience with pre-K admissions. Did you get a spot? Were programs cut in your district?

(Post updated Sept. 8)