Parents of children born in 2005 -- who will turn four in calendar year 2009 -- can find pre-kindergarten applications, information and school directoriesonline. (A curious disclaimer appears when you click on the 'applications' link, which says "The site you are about to visit may not be under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Education and thus the Department of Education may not be responsible for its content." Doesn't inspire a lot of confidence; clarification is anticipated later today from DOE.)

The DOE's cautionary note deserves a mention, too: since the applications are NOT processed on a first-come, first-serve basis, parents should take time and care to make good choices for their kids and not feel pressed to submit the application pronto. The deadline for applications is April 3.

Some local listservs have been buzzing with concerns about pre-K siblings displacing children who do not have older siblings in elementary school. It's easy to get caught up in this, but know that last year, siblings represented a distinct minority of pre-K students who were offered seats. Also important to note: families who wish to enroll younger sibs in their older child's school must list that school first; the preference doesn't hold without the primary ranking.

Update: According to Andy Jacob of the DOE's press office, the application resides on a different server but is fully under DOE direction. The disclaimer, which he says "might be confusing for some people," will be removed from the site.