Reply to Age cut off - DD born on 10/1

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here.  I'm so lost.  We're first time parents and we grew up in Colorado so I'm not terribly familiar with the DCPS system.  Please bear with me or keep scrolling to another post...

DD is only 8 months old.  I'm asking about the age cut-off because I really don't know what's best in terms of when to start her (if I even have a choice in the matter) and where to enroll her.  I don't have any preconceived notions or beliefs about whether to "redshirt" or "push forward" or anything of that nature.  DD was small for gestational age when born so I am perfectly happy with her starting school a year later and being the oldest one in her class because she'll probably always be the smallest.  As far as where to enroll her, we're trying to decide between staying in DC or moving to MD (where, as I understand it, the age cut-off is September 1, so still the same for us).  DH has a good work opportunity in Baltimore and we're considering moving to Howard County.  The problem is I work in DC and the commute from Howard County to DC would be pretty brutal, especially given my lengthy work day.  I heard that in DC, pre-k3 and pre-k4 are free to DC residents, so that is another factor that is weighing against moving to MD before DD goes to first grade.  I'm not sure how the lottery system works.  Is the chance you'll get in through the lottery very slim?  Ideally, if we can get into a good pre-k3 / pre-k 4 program, we'd like to delay moving to MD until DD is ready to for first grade.  So, forgive my ignorance, but if DD wont be 3 until 10/1/17, does she qualify for pre-k3 for the 2017-2018 school year?  Or do we enroll her in the pre-k3 program for the 2018-2019 school year (during which she'll turn 4 on 10/1/18)?

Thanks so much!  [/quote]

A couple of things going on here.

1. Public school is free to DC residents. At 3, at 4 and at 14. It's not exclusive to early childhood, except in so far as that you HAVE to lottery for early childhood (PK3 and PK4). Starting at kindergarten, your child will have a right to attend whatever your neighborhood school is, but if you would like her to attend that school prior to K, you will have to lottery. Note: this is the system now. The system 3 years ago was very different and the system in 3 years may be different still.

2. Your child will be one of the oldest in her class. She will not be eligible for the program until SY2018-19, because she will not turn 3 by 9/30 of that year.[/quote]

How was he system "very" different 3 years ago? Only thing I could think of was common app which made the few handful of schools conform to Sept 30 date. I don't see how there can be another change 3 years from now.[/quote]

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