How long does a waitlist stay active

[Anonymous]

If we match to a school and have a couple choices above it, how long will those schools remain in play in terms of waitlist movement through the school year? Like would there be a chance we could clear say, in February?

[Anonymous]

Depends on the school. But most stop taking from WL after the Oct count day.

[Anonymous]

Our DCPS generally makes a couple of offers in the spring.

[Anonymous]

There are two separate questions here:

a) how long does the waitlist continue to show up on MSDC? In recent years, MSDC has cleared prior year info around December (shortly before people can enter their choices for the next year). Schools are still supposed to follow the WL order if they take anyone after that point but it's harder to track.

b) what are the odds of getting off a waitlist after count day? At most schools, 0. Possibly better if you have a sibling enrolled, because the school knows that you will likely send both kids next year so why not take the other one ASAP.

[Anonymous]

We stop taking kids after count day. I don't know what our official policy is, but that's what has been stated during our previous years' leadership meetings. When kids leave midyear, we don't replace them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We stop taking kids after count day. I don't know what our official policy is, but that's what has been stated during our previous years' leadership meetings. When kids leave midyear, we don't replace them.

Which school is this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We stop taking kids after count day. I don't know what our official policy is, but that's what has been stated during our previous years' leadership meetings. When kids leave midyear, we don't replace them.

Which school is this?

Just about every school. There's a reason DCPS doesn't release info on waitlist offers after October. I bet if you FOIA'd them there would be very few, and most would be kids with a sibling already enrolled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We stop taking kids after count day. I don't know what our official policy is, but that's what has been stated during our previous years' leadership meetings. When kids leave midyear, we don't replace them.

Which school is this?

Just about every school. There's a reason DCPS doesn't release info on waitlist offers after October. I bet if you FOIA'd them there would be very few, and most would be kids with a sibling already enrolled.

I have seen it happen when a cohort is seriously underweight (like not enough kids for two full classrooms but too many for one classroom). Or if a child is placed in a self-contained classroom through that process, it seems like a sibling should be accomodated if at all possible.

Back when our school was trying to get over the 300-kid funding bump, our principal was rolling out the welcome mat all year long.

[Anonymous]

In other words, possible but HIGHLY unlikely after count day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In other words, possible but HIGHLY unlikely after count day.

Yup. Like there would need to be a reason. I do think if there is space and you are #1 on the list, an in-person visit may help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In other words, possible but HIGHLY unlikely after count day.

Yup. Like there would need to be a reason. I do think if there is space and you are #1 on the list, an in-person visit may help.

Agreed. Honestly, if you are #1 and the school decides you won't be too much trouble and you will give them something they want (high PARCC scores, PTA contributions) they might take you. It probably shouldn't be like that but I think at a lot of schools it is. At many schools, getting an extra kid in each testing grade who will score 4+ on PARCC could raise proficiency rate by a percentage point or two. Or taking a high-scoring kid off a wait list could balance out taking a low-performing kid who lives IB and got "counseled out" of a charter right before PARCC.

[Anonymous]

Basically some schools are trying to make sure they fill up by Count Day. Some schools have no trouble filling up by Count Day. So if a spot opens in winter or spring, the first kind of school might offer it to someone in the hopes of having a larger enrollment next fall, because if they don't give it to you it might be empty still on Count Day. So if it's where you'd like to be long-term for whatever reason, go and tell them that and that may motivate them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If we match to a school and have a couple choices above it, how long will those schools remain in play in terms of waitlist movement through the school year? Like would there be a chance we could clear say, in February?

Traditional neighborhood school? Possible if someone leaves.

Charter? No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we match to a school and have a couple choices above it, how long will those schools remain in play in terms of waitlist movement through the school year? Like would there be a chance we could clear say, in February?

Traditional neighborhood school? Possible if someone leaves.

Charter? No.

Apparently Two Rivers makes late offers.

[Anonymous]

Original poster here. I'm asking because a neighbor had this happen to them. It was a charter. Wanted to make sure we were left on our #1 pick's radar and how to do that. I'll just call the school directly when the dust settles and ask them.