Anonymous wrote:the issue for the school in which you are now enrolled - they really have no incentive to keep your younger child. No doubt sh/he will be gone in a year to the older sibling's school. You'll only have so much energy and most of your energy will go to long term school. It's not in their best interest when it's possible that the next student on the waitlist could be a long term student with a committed, active family (maybe not, but they already know you aren't).

So it's a tough sell for them to keep the younger. Your decision will come down to how much you want the newly offered school. Do you want it bad enough to risk paying daycare for a year for your younger? It is early, so I think there is a good chance that the younger will get in - talk to the new school about this.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks everyone. I can't actually find guidance on My School DC, so I will need to ask directly, plus consult with relevant principals before acting.

But the specific circumstance is that my kids had identical lottery lists, with the goal of keeping them together as siblings. As is often the case, one child drew a much better number than the other.

Child A got into choice #4 school, pulling in Child B. Both kids are now enrolled in our choice #4 school. Thus, neither child is on any WLs anymore for schools ranked below choice #4.

Child A has a good WL number at choice #1 school. If offered a spot into choice #1 school, I'd like to accept it. My hope is that both kids can attend choice #1. However, if choice #1 cannot accept both siblings, I don't want child B to be "unenrolled" from choice #4 school, having already been booted off of numerous WLs.

If some on this chain think this conundrum constitutes conniving and playing the system, I can live that. Presumably others see things differently.