At a Glance
A tiny pre-K hub anchoring Downtown Brooklyn's youngest learners in one of the borough's wealthiest, transit-rich corners
Best suited for
Families with 3- and 4-year-olds living in or near Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, or Boerum Hill who want a small, neighborhood-anchored pre-K with quick subway access and don't need an extended K-8 pathway on site.
What stands out
- Enrollment of just 58 students means every family likely knows the staff by name
- Located in one of Brooklyn's wealthiest census tracts, with a median household income near $150,000
- Three subway lines within an eight-minute walk make the morning commute flexible
- Functions as a dedicated pre-K hub for District 13 families in the downtown area
- Diversity index of 47% gives the small student body real range despite its size
Things to consider
- Enrollment is tiny — fewer same-age peers for socialization than at larger pre-K sites
- No published academic outcomes because the school serves pre-K only; longer-term results aren't trackable from here
- Only about 15% of neighborhood households have children, so the parent community may be smaller and more transient than in family-dense parts of the city
- Surrounding census tract carries a 15.5% poverty rate, a reminder that affluence and need coexist in this part of Brooklyn
- Median home value near $1.46M means most local families are renters, which can mean higher turnover on the parent roster
Based on 2023-24 data
School SummaryDistrict 13
Within District 13 — home to standouts like P.S. 011 Purvis J. Behan (96/100) and the Emily Warren Roebling School (91/100) — this pre-K center fills a specific early-childhood niche rather than competing with the district's K-8 powerhouses.
Academics
Because this is a pre-K center, there are no state ELA, math, or science proficiency results to interpret — that's standard for the age range served. We'll only see academic trajectories once these children move on to elementary schools in the district.
Culture
The data set doesn't include attendance rates, parent satisfaction surveys, or suspension figures for this site, so we can't read day-to-day climate from the numbers. With only 58 students, though, the social dynamics are almost certainly intimate — most families probably know the staff by name and run into each other at drop-off.
Community
The student body is 72% White, 17% Asian, 7% Black, and 3% Hispanic, with an economic need index of 14.8 — well below typical citywide levels and reflective of the surrounding neighborhood's affluence. Only about 15% of households in this census tract have children under 18, which means families with young kids are a minority here even though the area itself is densely populated.
Neighborhood
Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill is one of Brooklyn's wealthiest census tracts, with a median household income near $150,000 and a bachelor's-degree rate above 73%. Just 15.1% of households here have children, and homeownership sits at only 25.9% — meaning most residents are renters, often young professionals who may or may not stay as their kids grow. The area carries a median home value around $1.46 million, a quiet signal of what it costs to put down roots nearby.
Families can reach the school via High St (A, C trains) in about six minutes on foot, York St (F) in about seven, or Clark St (2, 3) in about eight.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Kindergarten
District 13 PRE-K Center doesn't have an attendance zone of its own, so living nearby doesn't guarantee a seat here. Families apply on MySchools, and seats go to the school's priority groups first, then by random lottery.
Kindergarten application
- Opens
- Wed, Dec 9
- Closes
- Fri, Jan 22
- Offers
- Tue, Mar 30
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the kindergarten application.
- 2Rank this school with your zoned school, if you have one, and any others you'd take — in true preference order.
Middle school (6th grade)
Middle school is one citywide application, made in 5th grade. We don't have District 13 PRE-K Center's program list, so read how each of its programs admits on MySchools before you rank it.
Middle school application
- Opened
- Wed, Oct 14
- Closes
- Fri, Dec 11
- Offers
- Wed, Apr 7
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the middle school application, in 5th grade.
- 2Rank programs in true preference order — the match places your child in the highest-ranked one that offers a seat.
High school (9th grade)
High school is one citywide application, made in 8th grade. We don't have District 13 PRE-K Center's program list, so read how each of its programs admits on MySchools before you rank it.
High school application
- Opened
- Tue, Oct 6
- Closes
- Fri, Dec 4
- Offers
- Wed, Mar 3
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the high school application, in 8th grade.
- 2Rank programs in true preference order — the match places your child in the highest-ranked one that offers a seat.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
Make this school part of your plan
Everything on this page is yours to read. An account keeps your research in one place.
No credit card required
Compare head-to-head
Explore nearby
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is District 13 PRE-K Center a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for District 13 PRE-K Center yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades K to 12 in Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill.
- What grades does District 13 PRE-K Center serve?
- District 13 PRE-K Center serves grades K to 12.
- Is District 13 PRE-K Center public, charter, or private?
- District 13 PRE-K Center is a public school in NYC Community School District 13.
- What neighborhood is District 13 PRE-K Center in?
- District 13 PRE-K Center is in Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.