Navigating Prince George's County Public Schools for Kindergarten -- Please Help!

[Anonymous]

Hello all. We are actively researching all of our options for kindergarten within PGCPS and outside (DC) for 2013. Our DC has an early September birthday (but late -- after Sept. 1 cutoff where schools are concerned). Could someone please explain the lottery process and which schools require lottery for entrance? We know that there is a number we must request from our zoned school. Should we do so as a "just in case"? Any insight/direction you can provide would be great. Also, where are your Ks attending school? Public or private? Which schools would you recommend? Also, will our DC be subjected to any testing because of her Sept. birthday if admitted to a PGCPS? If so, what does the testing entail? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

1. go to your public elem school to request a student number. Bring your lease and your kids' birth certificate (originals) to show them and copies of each to leave with them if they want them.

2. You can use the student number to apply for the lottery of any of the charter schools and specialty schools (Goddard Montessori, the french immersion school, etc). You can apply to as many charter schools as you like (apply directly to each charter school. some of them have a form on their website). You can apply to only 2 specialty schools. http://www1.pgcps.org/lottery/

3. about the Sept 1st cut off. Kindergarten kids are suppose to be age 5 by Sept 1st. You can apply for early admittance if your child turns 5 by Oct 15th. That's another form to fill out at your elem school when you get to get the student number. http://www1.pgcps.org/kindergarten/index.aspx?id=9436

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. go to your public elem school to request a student number. Bring your lease and your kids' birth certificate (originals) to show them and copies of each to leave with them if they want them.

2. You can use the student number to apply for the lottery of any of the charter schools and specialty schools (Goddard Montessori, the french immersion school, etc). You can apply to as many charter schools as you like (apply directly to each charter school. some of them have a form on their website). You can apply to only 2 specialty schools. http://www1.pgcps.org/lottery/

3. about the Sept 1st cut off. Kindergarten kids are suppose to be age 5 by Sept 1st. You can apply for early admittance if your child turns 5 by Oct 15th. That's another form to fill out at your elem school when you get to get the student number. http://www1.pgcps.org/kindergarten/index.aspx?id=9436

OP here -- thank you so very much for this wealth of information. This certainly helps us tremendously! Do you have any recommendations you wish to share as well?

[Anonymous]

NP here. Thank you!!! Our twins are only 13 months, but I've spent some time trying to figure out our options early before I have to rush around to do it, so I really appreciate the info, especially the early admission info. They were born the first week of September and I thought they were just going to have to be the oldest in their class when the time came.

Does the early admission work for lottery programs like the Goddard Montessori PK? It says that they can be admitted at ages 3 or 4, but we may want to get them in in 2014 rather than 2015 if possible.

[Anonymous]

No, you can't do early entrance into a speciality program-only your neighborhood school. OP, does your neighborhood school have a bad reputation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, you can't do early entrance into a speciality program-only your neighborhood school. OP, does your neighborhood school have a bad reputation?

OP here -- As far as I know my neighborhood school does not have a bad reputation.

[Anonymous]

for the poster asking about montessori, enter the lottery as soon as your are able. At some very early point you can't enroll unless they have been in private fulltime montessori the year previous. Plus, two chance.

[Anonymous]

How is the Goddard montessori? Can you still try to get in the lottery for the french immersion kindergarten if you get preschool in the montessori?

[Anonymous]

twin mom, they keep threatening to end sibling tag along...so keep an eye on that. You might end up with kids in two different schools.

16:41 - always heard good reviews of the montessori. Whether you can apply to french later is a good question for the speciality programs office - but i think the answer is yes.