Ten years ago this fall, New York state led the country in offering the first universally-funded, voluntary pre-kindergarten classes to 3- and 4-year-olds.
Back then, city parents were thrilled. Many stood on line at district offices for hours to ensure their child got one of the 12,000 seats.
But the problematic registration procedure - which varied from school to school and often left new parents in the dark - will finally be a thing of the past.
With more than 54,000 city children in pre-K this year, the city has streamlined registration for September.
The city is to release a standard application this week for use by families across all boroughs.
Schools will have admission forms and school directories on hand for parents to review their options. Forms must be returned with a postmark by April 18.
"I think it creates more organization," said Principal Linda Harris of Public School/Intermediate School 323 in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
"It makes it easier for me," she said. "It's the same form, it is posted everywhere, it's online and everyone can see the same thing."
In the past, policies, registration dates, applications, and filing deadlines differed from school to school.
"We wanted to come up with a centralized and coherent system, and to be sure that every parent knows what the rules are," said Andrew Jacob, a spokesman for the Education Department.
"Every parent that turns in an application by the deadline has the same chance to get into a school," he added.
But the city's highest-demand program, full-day pre-K, will still be elusive to parents in overcrowded districts.
The city had 6,000 vacant spots this school year, but 88% of them were less-popular half-day seats.
For a parent with a Manhattan job who lives in Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx, signing up for a 21/2-hour school day doesn't work.
"I can't interrupt my day to come back and pick her up in 21/2 hours. How am I supposed to work?" said Mara Hochhauser, a Howard Beach mom who decided against the city's free pre-K classes in 2000.
"The full-day class filled up right away," at PS 146, she said. Instead, she sent both her son and daughter to private, full-day preschool instead.
"It would've saved me some money," she noted, but still considers the money well-spent.
For the new application forms, visit www.schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/PreK.
