Last week, we reported on the waitlists for some local schools, for those who want to attend Seattle Public Schools outside the ones to which they’re geographically assigned. Even if you’re interested in a school that doesn’t have a waitlist, it’s important to get enrolled ASAP – especially if your child is an incoming kindergartener and isn’t signed up in the SPS system yet. The reminder was e-mailed to us by Erika Rasmussen, a Genesee Hill Elementary parent and PTA member who e-mailed us this week asking if we would share it with you. While the plea applies in particular to new kindergarteners and transfer students headed for that school – West Seattle’s most populous – it applies to all others as well, so that planning can be done without worrying about big last-minute changes. Here’s how Erika explains it:
At our PTA meeting (this week), we learned through the most recent enrollment projections that Genesee Hill Elementary School is currently projected to have approximately 760 students for the 2017-2018 school year (this projection also includes 149 Kindergarten students). The principal and staff are currently trying to budget and plan for staffing, resource, and even classroom space for next year (we are already busting at the seams in our new building and will be over capacity next year if this projection number remains or grows).
As you may know, Genesee Hill and many other local West Seattle schools have struggled in the past to correctly plan and budget for class sizes, staffing, and resources. Having more accurate numbers from actual enrollments will help schools plan.
What would greatly help these schools is for families who have youth at home that are ready to start Kindergarten in the fall to get them registered ASAP with the school district. I am a parent of an incoming Kindergartner and have heard from families new to the system that they find the enrollment process a bit challenging, especially with all the additional supplemental paperwork that is required to enroll students. I would love to encourage families to go ahead and complete the application form ASAP and submit it to the district. Some families have had challenges in obtaining the required State Immunization Forms and have said that this may be what is holding them back from registering their soon to be kindergartners. They do not have to have this form to begin the enrollment process [noted here].
We would also like to let the community know that even though the district states that enrollment is open and ongoing, local schools really want to encourage families to enroll ASAP (preferably before mid-May, when principals will have to make tough decisions regarding staff and classroom sizes). We would also like to encourage families who may have recently moved to new neighborhoods within West Seattle (which would put them in a new school zone for next year), or students who will be leaving private schools and joining their neighborhood public schools, to also enroll their students ASAP. This will help with planning across all grades (some schools are facing more split classes among multiple grades due to current enrollment numbers).
Any of this apply to your family? You can start the registration process right now by going here. That page includes information and links to forms, as well as a minute-long video that notes you can turn in your forms in person, by fax, or by e-mail.
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