Prekindergarten

Beginning a journey, building a foundation

A guide to prekindergarten in Albany public schools
No step is more important in your child's education than the first one.

That's why the City School District of Albany offers quality full-day prekindergarten in all 12 elementary schools, in its bilingual Dual-Language Program and at certain community agencies.

Prekindergarten 2011-12

There are a total of 591 prekindergarten seats available for the 2011-12 school year. A child must be 4 by Dec. 1 in order to qualify. If your child was selected for a pre-K seat through the annual lottery in April, you have until Friday, May 13 to register for that seat.

For more information about what you need to register your child for school, visit our Required Documents section. You also can call Central Registration at 475-6125 between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Central Registration is located at 75 Watervliet Ave.

All unfilled pre-K seats will be available for open enrollment beginning Wednesday, May 18.

Classes have a maximum of 18 children to make sure each child gets the individual attention that makes the prekindergarten experience meaningful. We encourage you to contact the principal or director at locations that interest you to find out more about your options (click here for that information).

 The district will not provide bus transportation to any prekindergarten program in 2011-12.

How does the prekindergarten lottery work?

All incoming prekindergarten students are enrolled through a lottery designed to provide equal access for all children in Albany. You must enter your child into the lottery to get a seat in the progam of your choice. The lottery is conducted by an independent national firm to assure fairness and impartiality.

On the lottery application, you will be asked to select your first, second and third choices. Student selection is random, but certain factors take priority when determining where your child will be enrolled:

• Sibling preference. A child with a brother or sister already in elementary school receives first preference at that school.

• Neighborhood preference. Second preference is given to a child who lives within a half-mile of a magnet school or within a given neighborhood school’s attendance zone.

• Open enrollment. This option allows parents to choose a non-magnet school outside their attendance zone.

The lottery drawing for the 2011-12 school year was held April 13 at Thomas O'Brien Academy of Science and Technology in Lincoln Park.