The application for students entering middle school in fall 2021 is open and the deadline to apply is February 9, 2021. The Department of Education has made significant changes to the middle school enrollment process this year. Public middle schools are not using academic records, auditions, or other screens or assessments to evaluate or admit students this year. Schools maintain priority for students living in the district, because families across the city want to attend middle school closer to home. If a school has more applicants than available seats, offers will be made using a lottery.
Additionally, District 13 middle schools will implement a district-wide Diversity in Admissions (DIA) initiative and join District 3, District 15 and over 80 other individual schools in offering this priority for their school communities. District 13 includes Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, parts of Bed Stuy and Downtown Brooklyn. For all District 13 middle schools including BK United (former Arts & Letters), MS 915 (former MS 8) and the Dock Street School, 57% of seats will be reserved for students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Within that 57%, 13% will be prioritized for students in temporary housing. These percentages are based on the district average for these students. Whether these admissions changes are temporary or permanent, has not been published yet.
District 13 Superintendent Kamar Samuels: “We know that offering greater opportunity and access for all students makes our schools stronger and I’m glad that our District is making important progress towards a more equitable system. This initiative will help ensure our classrooms better reflect the rich diversity of our community and bring us one step closer to a fair admissions process.”
Find out more here.
Photo: Dock Street Middle School in DUMBO
