NEW YORK, NY May 06, 2009 —Dozens of parents rallied outside City Hall today to protest the waiting lists for kindergarten at several Manhattan schools. Rebecca Bond says her daughter is on the combined waiting list for two schools in Greenwich Village. She blames Mayor Bloomberg for not planning enough schools to keep up with the growth of residential development.

BOND: You can't just build high rises and not think about the schools. You can't have three bedroom condominiums if that's what you're building and not anticipate you're gong to have families living in them.

The Education Department says it takes time to build and site new schools in pricey Manhattan. It says a total of 3,000 seats will come online in the next few years. It also says it expects kindergarten wait lists will shrink as parents accept openings in gifted and talented programs.