what school?

13:10 here

There were 15 spots for 3 year olds. I don't know how many there were for 4s or pre-K. I know that 4s are more limited b/c most if this year's 3s will move up to the 4s.

That's crazy. Definitely nothing like that for our Rockville preschool.

Metropolitan Methodist Preschool in NWDC does that too- the parents camp out overnight.

I have only heard of that happening in one preschool in my area, Messiah Methodist CEP. Apparently, in order to get an alumni preference (not a parishoner), you need 3 years in the school. So everyone is fighting for spots and, yes, parents camp out overnight.

Anonymous wrote:DH went over at 4:25am to get in line at the school we wanted for DD. We were #2 on the sign up sheet. (Number #1 on the list got there at 3:30am.)
I took over at 6:30am. By that time there were 20 names on the list. The director came in early at 7am and starts the sign up.
Is it crazy? Yes. But we only have to do it once for her and future children. Alumni and Siblings are given preference.

How many spots are there??

DH went over at 4:25am to get in line at the school we wanted for DD. We were #2 on the sign up sheet. (Number #1 on the list got there at 3:30am.)
I took over at 6:30am. By that time there were 20 names on the list. The director came in early at 7am and starts the sign up.
Is it crazy? Yes. But we only have to do it once for her and future children. Alumni and Siblings are given preference.

Unless this was the MO of all preschools, so I had no choice, I would probably skip that preschool (unless it was amazing).

Saint Clement??

In Arlington, most of the preschools use a lottery system. As long as you register by a certain date, you are entered into the lottery. No guarantee you will get in, but there are not people waiting outside all night to register!

I haven't heard of any of our local preschools in Montgomery County handling registration like this. We just had to submit our re-enrollment paperwork by a certain date to be guaranteed a spot for the following year, and then the school processed new applications as they came in.

I've heard this about Virginia preschools. I don't think there is any D.C. or MoCo preschool than handles registration like this. Waiting in line all night sounds awful!

We had to do that for our preschool in Colorado as a returning family. Really got to me each year. The "list" opened at 6 a.m. for the returning families but the new families had to wait in line. Definitely ridiculous but common?

Yeah, that's kind of crazy. We're in a great preschool in Rockville. The registration (for returning families) was last week. It started at 9am. The first person in line came at 8:10am.

Honestly, I can't imagine doing the all night long thing...are there other schools near you that would be worth it if you don't get a slot?

I am a parent of a currently enrolled 2 1/2 year old in (what must be) a desirable Virginia preschool.

Okay... so the registration process was recently, and at the priority level we are, there is some competition for slots. So get this: I got some feedback from other parents about waiting overnight at the church before the early morning registration. Turns out (and I know this first hand) that parents wait in their cars in the preschool parking lot for HOURS before the early morning registration - I'm talking all.night.long.
Without getting in to more particulars, I'm just curious if other preschools are like this; and if not, is the registration process any different? Online, lottery?

This preschool is great, but I cannot help but think the waiting in person registration is a little rediculous. For example, there is a family whose one parent works nights - how were they supposed to get in line for registration?