I know it sucks, but leaving your charter presumably has other significant consequences. How does that impact your middle school plans, assuming this is a school that feeds to DCI. Unless you have this sorted out, I would think that aftercare is not worth leaving unless you’re prepared to do private or move. |
DC Bilingual (charter) has space for any interested student. Mundo Verde and LAMB have waitlists. Those are the only schools I know but I am sure others have familiarity with other specific schools. |
And yet every other community I'm familiar with manages it. This seems to be a uniquely DC issue and a deeply backwards one at that. Daycares are open until 6 because obviously you need childcare until then if you work a 9-5, as most do. Shouldn't it be a axiomatic for public schools to do the same? |
If this is the 3rd year in a row, then it’s not a surprise and why don’t you have plan B and C? |
There are third parties that provide bus pickup and aftercare if a threshold number of kids will be picked up from your school. Your best bet is probably finding the other parents on the waitlist and signing up together |
Yeah this is the plan b at our oversubscribed DCPS. A bunch of parents banded to their and got a daycare to do afterschool pickup/aftercare. |
I don’t think this is true. My sister is in a different state and her child’s aftercare is constantly having staffing issues. Quite frankly I think they are just out of compliance in terms of ratio of adult to student otherwise they would have to kick some kids out of aftercare. |
I am one of the PP and MV had the issue during 2021-2022, but not anymore. I am not sure about Shepherd. |
We're looking at a year wait for aftercare in NOVA. And it's more expensive too. |
Pp is talking about DC schools. Most schools in DC are not having this issue right now. |
+1 I don't know where people are getting the idea this doesn't happen outside of DC. |
At Key, aftercare is not guaranteed and is very difficult to get into. We are a new family and were told that we will not get in next year and that almost no new families get in (you have to get on the waitlist). It's fine for us as we have alternatives, but does seem really annoying that not everyone who would want to go to aftercare can get in. |
Op here. Yes I agree it is insane. I think our new exec director is aware of the problem, but so far nothing has been done. I think my only options right now are to go to my inbound (which has a lot of aftercare) or go to an way more expensive, not good option which involved a van transfer. If aftercare is a problem everywhere i would be more inclined to try to make our charter work, but it seems that this is specific to our school. I totally get that new kids might not get a spot at some schools, but at our charter there is some weird lottery so only teacher's kids and students who qualify for free/reduced lunches get priority. And again, this is fine as long as hundreds aren’t shut out every year. |
At our charter (op here) you don’t get a preference for being there the year prior. |
But lottery is over and your only guaranteed choice is your inbound school. So knowing what's happening 'all over the city' still not relevant to you. Only your inbound school. Since you don't have a lottery spot somewhere else for the fall. |