West Seattle schools: Update on waitlists – 1 is longer

With days to go in this school year for Seattle Public Schools – elementaries and K-8s are out after Tuesday, middle and high schools are out after Thursday – the focus on next school year intensifies. After publishing citywide waitlist numbers a week ago, the district is keeping its promise of weekly updates. If you haven’t watched waitlists before, you might wonder whether they’re getting shorter or longer. Read on to see what happened with last week’s five longest West Seattle waitlists:

It’s still the same five. Again, these are the lists for those who would not automatically be assigned to these schools as their “attendance area” residents, but rather, those from other areas who are hoping to get in:

Chief Sealth International High School, 9th grade waitlist: +2 to 85 this week
Pathfinder K-8 kindergarten waitlist: -2 to 46 this week
Gatewood Elementary kindergarten waitlist: +1 to 29 this week
Lafayette Elementary kindergarten waitlist: Unchanged at 28 this week
Schmitz Park Elementary kindergarten waitlist: Unchanged at 28 this week

(The district’s longest waitlist remains 88 for Garfield High School 9th grade.) The real movement is likely later in the summer, so we won’t publish weekly updates unless something unusual turns up; you can check every Friday on this district webpage – look for the “Waiting List Numbers by School” link.

R26 June 19, 2011 (3:11 pm)

So why then if Pathfinder had 2 move has my kids # not changed?

This just shows someone dropping out of the wait list – not movement on the wait list – another SPS math problem?!

WSB June 19, 2011 (3:16 pm)

OK, we dropped the word “movement.” Shorter or longer, is all that this shows – nonetheless, as I wrote, seemed interesting for one more checkback. I don’t know how often they will update individual students’ statuses, but we’ll ask. – TR

Que June 19, 2011 (4:10 pm)

R26 – maybe the movement happened further down the list than your child’s number.

For example, if your child is number 15 and number 25 and 32 dropped off the list, your child would still be number 15.

GenHillOne June 19, 2011 (4:14 pm)

R26 – it would seem to me that it just means the two who dropped off were farther down the list than your kid…leaving his/her number unchanged. Yeah?

J June 19, 2011 (9:22 pm)

I don’t know but the SPS seems to have a lot of problems lately.

Dc June 19, 2011 (9:32 pm)

Just curious- when do people typically sign up to get on the waitlist?

A June 19, 2011 (11:02 pm)

If you want to be in the Gatewood area my dear friends are listing their home for sale this week!

brittany June 20, 2011 (8:05 am)

i wonder how many on the gatewood list are siblings of former cooper students who got shipped “out of area” when they closed our area school then moved the attendance area lines all around? i really wish the school board would start thinking about the future from time to time.

george June 20, 2011 (12:59 pm)

I believe the waitlist is created from the open enrollment period of March 15/April 15. You can choose ONE school as your wait list option if a space opens up. I would suggest a better tracking data would be the sibling wait list (they had this last year). Siblings will get the highest priority on the wait list. If these are not emptied first, then anyone trying to get in on a “first child” basis will have a steep wait (again, based on how many siblings are still waiting). For those without siblings, this is a critical measuring stick for what your chances may be of getting in. Also, if you know your child is going in a private school, let the SSD know asap so that they can fill your spot for someone on a waitlist!!

Dc June 20, 2011 (1:18 pm)

Thanks George. Is the waitlist just to get in to school of choice if that school is not in your area or is there a chance kids can’t get into their closest school? If so, that’s terrible!

Julia June 20, 2011 (4:08 pm)

This states these waiting lists are for those who choose the school and wouldn’t automatically be assigned to it due to where they live, but Pathfinder is a “choice school” right? You have to choose to go and no one is automatically assigned. I am just checking because I want my daughter to go to school ( Kindergarten) there the next school year 2012-2013, and am concerned that she won’t get in if this long waitlist is typical for the school.
Thanks.
Julia

george June 20, 2011 (5:04 pm)

Correct Julia. @DC, a child is assigned to a school based on their address. If you want to go to a different school, or a choice school like Pathfinder, you sign up for any available openings after the assigned placements by address. Out of area siblings receive next priority, and then a random lottery is held for out of assignment wait list spots. In some cases, siblings are not being enrolled into their out of assignment schools where their sibling already attends because there is no room, or too many siblings for the number of spots open. (This is causing a great deal of stress for families worried about their kids attending 2 different schools, 2 PTA’s, 2 sets of friends/parents/teachers/field trips/gala’s etc.) Persistance does not benefit someone, its strictly random lottery after siblings. But, the opportunity to change exists until Sept. 30 if an opening comes up. So just because you miss the first day of school does not necessarily mean you don’t get that school. Or, just move into that boundary and then you are guaranteed admitance to that school (except Pathfinder).
@Julia, I think the other tricky spot for you is that you only get to choose ONE wait list school. You can’t create a multiple priority list and take the best option. You get one shot or else its into your boundary assigned school.

Dc June 20, 2011 (7:19 pm)

Ok that makes sense. Thanks!

Laura June 22, 2011 (7:19 am)

Option schools like Pathfinder actually have a geographic zone that gives tiebreaker preference to students who live near the school. You still have to choose the school but the idea is to give preference to neighborhood kids. Same goes for siblings. You can find a map of the geographic zone on the district website.

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