The share of Girona families choosing a public school as their first option for I3 pre-enrolment has risen for the 2026–2027 school year, according to data from the Departament d'Educació i Formació Professional, the Catalan government department for education and vocational training. The change matters for families waiting for places because first-choice demand helps shape admissions, class planning and waiting lists at local schools.

In the Girona counties, 81.44% of families applying for I3 places named a public school as their first preference. That is up from 79.52% for the current school year. The remaining 18.56% chose a state-funded private school, known in Catalonia as a concertada, as their first option.

Girona rises while Catalonia records a slight drop

The Generalitat's pre-enrolment information and planning material indicate that the wider Catalan trend has moved slightly in the opposite direction, with public-school first preferences edging down across Catalonia even as Girona's share increased. The Girona figures therefore stand out against the overall pattern for I3 admissions this year.

For local parents, the figures point to stronger pressure on public I3 places in Girona ahead of September, particularly in schools that already attract high first-choice demand. The Ajuntament de Girona, the city council, publishes local schooling guidance for families aged 3 to 16 on its school admissions information page.

"In the Girona counties, 81.44% of families have requested a public school as their first option in I3 pre-enrolment."

Fewer pupils per class remain part of the I3 plan

The shift comes as the Generalitat continues reducing class sizes in Infantil 3, the school year for children aged three. In a government press release on planning for compulsory education, the department said 93% of public-sector I3 groups would start with 20 pupils or fewer per classroom.

That policy is intended to adapt the school network to lower birth rates while preserving places and improving pupil-teacher ratios. For Girona families, it means demand is rising for public places at the same time as the administration is trying to keep I3 groups smaller.

  • Girona public-school first preferences for I3, 2026–2027: 81.44%
  • Girona public-school first preferences for the current year: 79.52%
  • Families choosing a concertada as first preference in Girona: 18.56%
  • Public I3 groups in Catalonia planned to start with 20 pupils or fewer: 93%

What families can do if they did not get their first choice

Families who do not obtain a place at their first-choice school should check the status of their application and any subsequent allocation through the Generalitat's Preinscripció 2026–2027 portal. In Girona, they can also contact the municipal schooling office through the city council's 3 to 16 admissions service to ask about waiting lists, available places and the next administrative steps.

The official admissions information for the 2026–2027 school year is published through the Generalitat pre-enrolment portal and Girona City Council's schooling service.

Primary sources: Departament d'Educació i Formació Professional de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament d'Educació i Formació Professional de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Ajuntament de Girona, Departament d'Educació i Formació Professional, Generalitat de Catalunya, Generalitat de Catalunya (tramits.gencat), Presidència de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament d'Educació i Formació Professional (Govern de Catalunya), Departament d'Educació i Formació Professional (Govern de Catalunya), Departament d'Educació i Formació Professional (Govern de Catalunya), Departament d'Educació (Govern de Catalunya), Departament d'Educació (Govern de Catalunya). Reported by EOI Girona (via Àgora-Xtec), Diari de Girona.