ATS lottery 2021

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought at a recent PTA meeting the principal said something about getting kids off the waitlist at every grade, but I doubt it will be a ton.

I did back of notebook math and they could add a class to almost every grade and fill the McK building without trailers. 4 classes is 100 roughly 25 to a class, add to it's current 650 and boom, much greater capacity. The waitlist is long enough in all grades for this to happen. I didn't do all grades b/c they already announced 5 K classes for next year and next year's 3rd grade is already at 5.

If they leave the trailers empty it's probably b/c the building can't hold more kids. The lunch room is small and so is the playground ...and there is only one. For an 800 kid school, (750 w/o trailer) there should be two, spaced far apart.

** all numbers approximated in this post but should be pretty close to right.

It seems like they should be adding more than one preK and one K class. It doesn't make sense to have this program underenrolled when we have overcrowded schools.

That's exactly what I'm saying. it think they are going to add a 5th first, 5th second, 5th 4th and 5th 5th. However, I haven't seen that stated anywhere nor have I looked at the waitlist. If the 5th grade waitlist is near 0, then they did bring in a 5th 5th b/c last year's 5th waitlist was in the 60s or maybe heigher.

I was agreeing with you. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.

I found the Superintendent's Update from April 15. https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2021-Annual-Update-Posted-Apr-19-202138.pdf

Look at the table on the bottom of page 4 and the related discussion. They are not planning to add classrooms at any grades other than preK and K. They might be planning to slowly grow the program over time by adding a 5th K class going forward, but they could fill that building now. There are waitlists at other grades. I don't think it's acceptable for next year with distancing being a concern to leave a highly in demand program like ATS underenrolled while neighborhood schools are over capacity.

Thanks for pulling that. I'm an ATS parent too and I think they should fill it if they find teachers. Personally, I think they should build a second one of the same model since the total waitlist is the total pop of a new school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re #16 and got in couple years ago

For 1st grade? I wouldn’t have thought they move that far down the waitlist for any grade - except perhaps Kindergarten

Even for kindergarten they generally don’t get anywhere close to that. I would be curious to know when/how this happened.

it's when the waitlist didn't get reset every year.

In other words, your anecdote is completely irrelevant to the current system. Cool beans.

[Anonymous]

I think they'll get further down the waitlist this year. Many families are moving out of the area so fewer k sibs. COuld make a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think they'll get further down the waitlist this year. Many families are moving out of the area so fewer k sibs. COuld make a difference.

Forgot to mention, the year my kid got in, #12 got in (met her) and #13 didn't (knew her). This was for K, the first waitlist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re #16 and got in couple years ago

For 1st grade? I wouldn’t have thought they move that far down the waitlist for any grade - except perhaps Kindergarten

Even for kindergarten they generally don’t get anywhere close to that. I would be curious to know when/how this happened.

it's when the waitlist didn't get reset every year.

In other words, your anecdote is completely irrelevant to the current system. Cool beans.

who peed in your cereal?

[Anonymous]

I haven't seen much movement on the waitlist. Today is supposed to be the accept/decline day - when will spaces open up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven't seen much movement on the waitlist. Today is supposed to be the accept/decline day - when will spaces open up?

over the next week, starting Monday, you'll see your number drop.

[Anonymous]

Definitely hang out on the WL and see what happens over the summer. Our child got in mid summer one year. Totally unexpectedly. And no I don't remember our WL number, sorry. I think somewhere around 13.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re #16 and got in couple years ago

For 1st grade? I wouldn’t have thought they move that far down the waitlist for any grade - except perhaps Kindergarten

Even for kindergarten they generally don’t get anywhere close to that. I would be curious to know when/how this happened.

it's when the waitlist didn't get reset every year.

In other words, your anecdote is completely irrelevant to the current system. Cool beans.

who peed in your cereal?

They are right though, what happened under the old system isn't relevant.

[Anonymous]

McKinley fit over 800 kids in that building so...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McKinley fit over 800 kids in that building so...

It did. Kids at lunch in the halls. THe playground was so dangerous that kids got hurt almost daily. Some kids got concussions and at least one went to VHC in an ambulance. It fit 800 with trailers and without the second playground. not good.

[Anonymous]

How does the movement work on waitlist? Are the initial movements after deadline to accept for those that declined, and anything after would just be for change in enrollment for any already enrolled students? This is for 1st grade slot and not Kindergarten. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does the movement work on waitlist? Are the initial movements after deadline to accept for those that declined, and anything after would just be for change in enrollment for any already enrolled students? This is for 1st grade slot and not Kindergarten. Thanks.

Yes. That is my understanding of how it works for 1st grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does the movement work on waitlist? Are the initial movements after deadline to accept for those that declined, and anything after would just be for change in enrollment for any already enrolled students? This is for 1st grade slot and not Kindergarten. Thanks.

Yes. That is my understanding of how it works for 1st grade.

Correct. That is how it works. But, sometimes spots become available during the summer when people change their minds. Our child got in (not Kindergarten) mid summer last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for pulling that. I'm an ATS parent too and I think they should fill it if they find teachers. Personally, I think they should build a second one of the same model since the total waitlist is the total pop of a new school.

Why couldn't they find the teachers, and what does this say about your vision of a second ATS?