New 'guaranteed assignment' option for incoming kindergarten students

Superintendent Carol R. Johnson has announced a new assignment option for parents of in-coming kindergarten (K2) students to consider as they register their children for school this month. Families may now choose to have their in-coming K2 student assigned to the school closest to their home that has an available seat, if the schools they choose are not available. Round one of school registration for the Fall of 2013 began last week and runs through February 1.

“We must do everything we can to make the process of registering for schools as easy as possible for our families,” said Dr. Johnson. “This change may seem insignificant on the surface, but to the hundreds of families who will be assured a seat as part of the first round of registration, even if one of their choices isn’t available, it is anything but.”

Families with children entering kindergarten, or entering a new school for 6th or 9th grade are encouraged to visit a Family Resource Center before February 1 to register for classes. Families registering a child with a last name that begins with the letters A through G are encouraged to register January 7 through January 11. Children with a last name that begins with letters H through Q are asked to register January 14 through January 18, while those with a last name that begin with the letters R through Z are asked to register January 22 through January 25.

Assignments are processed at the end of the round; therefore, when a family registers their child during the round has not impact on whether a student will receive a top choice. Families who cannot visit a Center during their designated week may also register January 28 through February 1 and still be included in the round.

There are also two special Saturday morning registration sessions being held at the East Zone Family Resource Center, on January 12 and 26, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and these are open to all families.

Superintendent Johnson also announced today that the BPS registration hotline is up and running, available to assist families with questions about registering for school (617-635-9046).

While a recommendation for a new assignment plan will be made in the coming weeks, it will not affect school assignments for the 2013/2014 school year.

Families seeking more information on school registration, or the location of a Family Rescoure Center are encouraged to visit www.bostonpublicschools.org or call 617-635-9046.