Lottery stops in October? No enrollment?

[Anonymous]

I recently was told that schools stop enrolling at beginning of October. Meaning if you haven’t gotten an offer from a waitlist lottery list by then, that you will not get one at all.

Can anyone clarify how this works? Is there a chance of getting off the lottery waitlist after October 1?

[Anonymous]

They can stop but they don't have to. The enrollment numbers for the budget process are entered into the system in early October. But some schools prefer to continue enrolling after that.

[Anonymous]

count day - no additional per student funding. so they generally stop enrolling oob students and at charters yes.

[Anonymous]

Your odds of getting in off a waitlist are low after count day. If the #1 kid on the waitlist has a sibling enrolled though, a lot of schools will take that kid because they know the kid will likely get in next year anyway, and might as well start teaching the younger sib now. This is especially true if the school has a special focus like Montessori or bilingual.

[Anonymous]

Do they enroll again in January or they stop in October and that’s it for the year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do they enroll again in January or they stop in October and that’s it for the year?

That's it for the year. But if you move in-bounds for a by-right school, obviously, they'll still take you.

[Anonymous]

If you're on a waitlist, your best chance to get an offer is the first week of October. After 10/5, which is "count day", the schools receive funding for the kids they've enrolled by that deadline. At that point, they might enroll you if they lost a lot of kids after the 5th: they've already been paid for the kids who have left. It's really a game of Musical Chairs from 10/1 to 5PM 10/5

[Anonymous]

Depends on the school. I know for a fact that my kid’s (underenrolled) school takes PK kids late in the year.

[Anonymous]

Yes. If they are trying to increase their numbers in the long run, it may be worth it to take kids whenever they're available.

[Anonymous]

I think any school that has a significant waitlist or is highly regarded won’t take kids after count day. Those schools are confident they will hit their enrollment goals every year. The schools that might take kids are underenrolled.

[Anonymous]

Echoing what was said above that 95% of schools (especially charters) will stop taking new students after "Count Day."

But, as some whose kids have literally started new schools on count day before, waitlists can move like CRAZY late September into early October. Like going from 50 something to getting an offer in some cases (depending on the school).

[Anonymous]

Has anyone had their waitlist numbers move? We are on a bunch and zero movement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone had their waitlist numbers move? We are on a bunch and zero movement.

I did. 7th grade at Francis.

[Anonymous]

No movement on my lists - kindergarten

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do they enroll again in January or they stop in October and that’s it for the year?

That's it for the year. But if you move in-bounds for a by-right school, obviously, they'll still take you.

this is only true for K-12, not pk though.