Watch CBS News

First Round Of Full-Day Pre-K Acceptances Sent Out To Waiting Parents

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the first wave of acceptances to the city's expanded pre-kindergarten programs Thursday.

As 1010 WINS' Al Jones reported, the mayor joined Delmay Catigan at Floyd Bennett School in Brooklyn as he opened his letter that informed him whether he got his first choice for his 3-year-old daughter's full-day pre-K.

De Blasio: And where is that location?

Catigan: Floyd Bennett, P.S. 203

Teachers cheered along at the news.

First Round Of Full-Day Pre-K Acceptances Sent Out To Waiting Parents

The mayor said the 20,000 full-day pre-K seats in public schools across the five boroughs for the fall are all but gone; leaving 10,000 disappointed parents with Plan B.

"There's a huge number of high quality options. Parents can apply for as many as they like," de Blasio said.

The mayor promised the same high quality Pre-K that is offered in city school buildings.

"This is a big, big day for families and for all of us committed to giving every child the best possible start in life. Today is a huge milestone—but it's not the end of the road. There are hundreds of incredible community-based programs ready to provide a great pre-K experience, and we want every parent to take advantage of all the new choices out there," he said.

The de Blasio administration has set a goal of more than 30,000 seats by fall in community-based programs, Jones reported.

This is the first year parents can apply for community-based pre-K online through nyc.gov/prek.

Parents who received an offer to a public school pre-K program have until June 20 to register with the school. Additional full-day public school seats will be announced in the coming weeks.

Check Out These Other Stories From CBSNewYork.com:

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.