OUSD TK Waitlists?
Hello parents! Does anyone have any insight about OUSD TK waitlists? My kiddo is #12 at Thornhill. I've read through BPNs posts about kindergarten waitlists, but I know that TK is a whole different thing given the limited availability of classes. If we don't get off the waitlist, does my kid just not get a placement this year? (He's also in the 50s on the Montclair waitlist, so I won't hold my breath.) Our neighborhood school (Hillcrest) doesn't offer TK, unfortunately.
Any advice on moving him further up the waitlist, other than patience? People keep telling me to "stay on top of" (aka nudge) the school and/or OUSD, but it seems like everything is centrally controlled and there's not much an individual parent can do. It's not in my nature to bug people and be the squeaky wheel, so I'm perfectly comfortable letting the system do its thing, but I also don't want to disadvantage my kid if there's something else I could or should be doing to help him. Any advice is welcome!
Parent Replies
Unfortunately there's not much you can (or should) do except wait. There was a time before the enrollment process moved online when being a squeaky wheel sometimes helped, but one of the upsides (in my opinion!) of the online system is that it is more transparent and simply moves in order of your lottery pull. Principals and other staff can't bump you up above other families. If you're willing to wait past the start of the school year, spots sometimes open up then, but possibly not enough to get you in with #12. If you want your child in TK even if it's not at one of those schools, you can call the Student Enrollment Center to find out which schools have space--there are many that do, or that have shorter waiting lists.
If you are set on Thornhill or Montclair, I think you need to have a backup plan because it's very possible that you may not get in at #12 on the waitlist. If you would really like your child to go to TK next year, I suggest reaching out to the Student Enrollment Center to see what other programs might still have space.