For the third consecutive year, fewer eighth-grade students in Amsterdam have been placed in their preferred secondary schools. This year, 91 percent of students were placed within their top three choices, a slight decrease from 91.3 percent last year. Notably, for the first time, less than three-quarters of students, specifically 73.9 percent, were admitted to their first-choice school, down from 75.25 percent in the previous year. The Vereniging van Amsterdamse schoolbesturen (OSVO) announced these figures today, affecting thousands of students who utilize the Central Loting en Matching system, in place for twelve years. Ten students were placed in their last choice, and nearly one in twenty were not placed within their top five preferences. A second round of placement will occur following an appeal period.