For post-K Lottery enrollment, the preferences outlined in the Enrollment Policy are applicable to students on a space available basis, but does not ensure placement at a preferred choice.
➔ Geographic proximity of residence to school (i.e. within safe walking distance) and sibling pairing are still considerations if there are available spots within the grade level of the school that the family has listed as their preferred choice. If there is a space available in a grade at a school, and two newly enrolled students have both listed it as their preferred choice, then factors such as geographic proximity would be a factor. If a newly enrolled student lives near a specific school, but that school does not have space at that child’s grade level, their proximity does not afford them the option to enroll. ➔ Students who require placement in a special education program will continue to be placed at the school where the program is housed, even if it may involve a total class size that is different from the other grade-level sections across the District.
Given the above, it is reasonable to conclude that students who enroll closest to the start of a school year or during a school year have the most limited options, if any, regarding placement at an elementary school.
Placement Scenarios and Examples
The below scenarios are offered to provide examples of how placement would be determined given different circumstances. These are just a few of numerous different scenarios that address the many combinations of variables that could be involved with how a student is placed in the Open Enrollment process.
A family in Acton is enrolling their child through the Kindergarten Lottery. The family lives within one mile of the Gates School (based on safe walking routes), and they have indicated Gates as their first choice.
➢ The family would receive priority consideration as a “walking distance” student for placement at Gates
A family is moving into Acton over the summer and is registering their child for Kindergarten. The family lives within one mile of the Gates School and have indicated Gates as their first choice. Through the K Lottery placement process, all of the spots in the Gates K sections have been filled. ➢ The family would not be able to place their child at Gates for the upcoming school year, and would be placed at the school of their highest choice that has available space in Kindergarten. The family would be placed on the Gates waitlist that would be reviewed prior to the next school year.
A family has a 5th grade student who attends Conant. They are registering their younger child to enter Kindergarten through the lottery, and would like the younger child to also attend Conant.
➢ The family would receive priority consideration as a “sibling student” for placement at Conant
A family moves into Acton and has a child entering 2nd grade and another child entering 4th grade. They have chosen Merriam as their first choice, and Douglas as their second choice. At Merriam, there is no available
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software