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Chicago Public Colleges is contemplating an enrollment coverage change that will give pre-Ok college students precedence to remain in the identical college for kindergarten, even when they dwell exterior the college’s boundary or are at a magnet college.
Presently, if a pre-Ok pupil lives exterior a faculty’s boundary or attends full-day pre-Ok at a magnet college, they aren’t assured a seat in kindergarten. If authorized, the proposed coverage would give present pre-Ok college students precedence after siblings and youngsters of workers, however forward of different candidates. For neighborhood faculties, college students residing within the boundary would nonetheless get prime precedence. After them, siblings of scholars and youngsters of workers, after which pre-Ok college students can be provided seats earlier than different college students from exterior the boundary. The coverage wouldn’t apply to selective enrollment faculties.
If authorized, the modifications would take impact in subsequent 12 months’s utility cycle for attendance within the 2026-27 college 12 months.
Full-day pre-Ok for 4-year-olds in Chicago is a comparatively new program. Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel promised common pre-Ok in 2018 shortly earlier than saying he wouldn’t search a 3rd time period. Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot adopted by means of on the promise, and now, the college district provides 4-year-old full-day pre-Ok throughout the system.
Leslie McKinily, head of the Workplace of Early Childhood with Chicago Public Colleges, mentioned the aim is to extend the variety of pre-Ok college students who stay in the identical college for kindergarten.
It’s unclear from the info why households change faculties for kindergarten, McKinily mentioned. For some, it might be that their little one received a proposal in a selective enrollment program or totally different college the household prefers. However McKinily mentioned there are cases the place pre-Ok college students don’t wish to depart.
“There are a small variety of faculties which can be pressured with telling households, ‘No, you can not keep right here for kindergarten as a result of I simply don’t have the house,’” McKinily mentioned.
That may be tough for principals who’ve used common pre-Ok as a recruitment instrument to construct enrollment at their college, McKinley mentioned.
Seth Lavin, principal of Brentano Elementary Math & Science Academy in Logan Sq., mentioned his college has confronted this subject. After the college was spared from closure in 2013, they labored to spice up enrollment — and providing pre-Ok helped.
“Even when households have apprehensions about CPS or one specific college, they’ll typically really feel good after they stroll right into a preschool classroom and see nice preschool academics doing nice preschool work,” Lavin mentioned. “Then when you’ve received a household in your college, they usually notice this can be a good place to be, my child is completely satisfied right here, it’s simpler to transform them to kindergarten.”
However as Logan Sq. gentrified and Brentano grew in reputation with neighborhood households, Lavin mentioned it’s been more durable to proceed providing seats to college students who dwell exterior the boundary. As a result of pre-Ok enrollment continues to be a lottery primarily based on earnings and different hardship elements, Lavin mentioned his pre-Ok lecture rooms are sometimes extra numerous than the kindergarten lessons.
“Nothing is magic. This one coverage change shouldn’t be going to thoroughly cease segregation and inequity and the way folks can all go entry college in Chicago,” Lavin mentioned. “However it may be a step that helps give households dealing with financial hardship entry to varsities which can be gentrifying after they’re in neighborhoods which can be gentrifying.”
The proposed modifications to the district’s enrollment coverage would additionally enable college students to remain enrolled of their neighborhood college in later grades, even when their household strikes out of the attendance boundary.
The proposed coverage will likely be posted for public remark for 30 days and is anticipated to go earlier than the college board for a closing vote in December.
Becky Vevea is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Chicago. Contact Becky at bvevea@chalkbeat.org.
