Kindergarten waitlist shrinks

FEWER CITY KIDS ended up on waiting lists when applying to kindergarten in this year, because fewer kids applied.

Just 590 incoming kindergartners landed on waitlists this year, compared with 1,083 in 2017, Education Department officials said Thursday.

That’s a 45% drop, according to the city’s admissions count.

But just 67,728 families applied for kindergarten classes starting in September this year, 1,422 fewer than the 69,150 in 2017.

Education Department officials chalked the enrollment decrease up to a demographic blip.

They said 90% of students received an offer to one of the choices on their applications and 84% received an offer to one of their top three choices.

“These percentages have remained approximately the same dating back to 2016,” department spokesman Douglas Cohen said in an email sent to reporters.

“Many families receive offers from schools where they are on the waitlist on a rolling basis through the spring and summer,” Cohen added.

Department officials also said more schools in Manhattan’s District 1 met kindergarten enrollment targets intended to diversify schools there.