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Toddlers Wait-Listed By CPS Despite Open Pre-K Slots At Schools

By Paul Biasco | June 28, 2016 5:48am
 Amelia DuBois, a mother of three, was waitl-isted for pre-kindergarten at Moos Elementary.
Amelia DuBois, a mother of three, was waitl-isted for pre-kindergarten at Moos Elementary.
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DNAinfo/Paul Biasco

HUMBOLDT PARK — Dozens of toddlers have been placed on waiting lists for pre-K classes at two Chicago Public Schools even though those programs have openings for the fall, parents said.

That has left many parents confused and frustrated about what to do as they plan for the next year.

"People are crazy about it," said Amelia DuBois, who is hoping her 3-year-old, Rycken, is admitted to Moos Elementary in Logan Square. "People are totally crazy."

DuBois and other parents said they applied on the first day the process opened in May and were told their children were placed on a waiting list about two weeks ago.

Prekindergarten classes are for 3- and 4-year-old children and are designed to provide kids with a strong foundation before entering school.

"It's already the end of June. Parents are worried about where they are going to send their kids," said Amanda Bull, president of Friends of Moos. "It kind of encourages parents to look into private options, to look into other schools, or even consider moving into the suburbs."

Chicago Public Schools officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The wait-listing came despite word from principals at Moos Elementary in Humboldt Park and Brentano Academy in Logan Square that there are open slots in the pre-K programs at their schools.

Parents seeking answers from CPS have been unable to get any, DuBois and Bull said.

"The lack of transparency around what is happening makes it very difficult for those of us that are trying to build community in the school to communicate with parents and to recruit middle-class families," Bull said. "It is really unclear what the situation is."

At Brentano Academy, for example, there are 48 total spots for new students, according to a message from its principal, Seth Lavin, to parents.

There were 41 early applications, and the majority of those were wait-listed, according to Lavin. Only 17 were accepted, and the rest were wait-listed, Bull said.

Initial offers were made to families that meet certain criteria, such as income, family size and language needs and everyone else was wait-listed, Lavin said.

Lavin said his own 3-year-old son was wait-listed at the school.

The concern, according to parents, is that families who are wait-listed are being left in the dark about the situation and may choose to find another option for their kids rather than have them join CPS.

DuBois, a mother of three, was hoping to have her youngest son enrolled at Moos. She said although she understands CPS is dealing with budget issues, the uncertainty of where her child is going to be in the fall is nerve-wracking.

Based on her family income — her husband works as a chef — and family size, an online CPS cost calculator estimated they would qualify for free tuition. Despite that, she still was wait-listed.

"We are really paycheck-to-paycheck," DuBois said. "It would be really helpful."

In his message, Lavin suggested parents not panic and wait things out.

"I think it’s a good thing for families with greatest need to get the best access to preschool. That said, I know that wait-listed families won’t wait around forever, and I don’t think it’s good for anyone for dozens of spots to go unfilled," Lavin said. "I’m hoping we’ll be able to get this resolved soon, and that’s what I’m advocating for internally. My advice to our wait-listed families at this point has been to not panic and just sit tight."

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