Stressing Out About Kindergarten Options

I agree, Coming from first hand experience, you can use a friend or relatives address. It worked for us aupon graduating High School in 2002. We lived across the street from my high school, but Technically we lived in a different city based on zones than the High School across the street. yes I know, it's crazy, so we used other address for schools, and kept it on a hush, but honestly they really didn't care. They tried to kick a friend of mine out because she lived in Pacifica, but we all protested and they ended up not doing it.. I also agree with you that Oakland School districts are very poor right now, thats why i refuse to live out there.. my 5 yr old son will be starting KG at the end of August 2009. So i know what you mean and how you feel.

Maybe you can ask some of the parents or friends that have children that go to the school how they got their child in?

I hope I was some help to you. Im still learning about the school systems myself in San Francisco. It's so different from jsut preschool. Good Luck to you..

Best,
C.

Relax!!! There are so many different life events that can happen between now and 2010! Gather your infirmation, but relax. you family is under so much stress on a daily basis, with your husband studying and you being the bread winner, many different things can happen in the mean time. You may need to move to a whole different area depending your husband's job availability.
Enjoy your children and relax!!!

I understand your stress! My daughter is coming up to the age also of having to figure all of this stuff out. I live in Alameda and there are several schools from what I hear that have over enrollment even within the school zones. If you live here and petition to get into a school in a different neighborhood you have to first start in your zoned school and then if room is available they move you, AFTER the school year starts. A neighbor kid got in to Edison but had to start at Haight for the first two weeks of kindergarten. Also Edison was doing home checks to make sure that everyone on the list that said they lived in the neighborhood actually did so.

Good Luck!

in order for some of the families that I personally know to get into Payden, they have to work in alameda. I'm assuming your husband is staying home with the kids now? If not, perhaps he can see if a part time job in alameda would qualify your family?hope this helps

A.,
I must tell you not to take the previous two posts' advice without doiing some checking first. I don't know how impacted the Alameda schools are, but here in Orinda (which is a very desirable district) they don't mess around with residency. You can't just use an address: you have to back it up with at least two documents (like a property tax bill, rental agreement, etc.) in your name. At the high school level, I have to go through this process EVERY YEAR (and we've lived here since 1997!)
Having said that, we do have kids at our schools from the surrounding areas (Oakland, El Sobrante, etc.) Basically, if there is room in a classroom after all the district residents have registered, then the district cannot turn kids away.
Check with the Alameda School District office. If you are pretty sure you're moving there eventually I think it would be worth it to go through whatever hoops you need to go through to get your son in as soon as possible. Good luck!!!

Hi A.,

My mother has a day care and there are some children that do not live in the area but since they go to her they are able to enrole in the schools in Alameda.

Will your son continue to have a day care provider while you are at work and husband in school? That maybe a way for him to stay in Alamda schools.

Do not stress as your son will feel what you are going through also.

If you need some help she may be able to assist you.

Hope your husband is recovering well from his injury.

Let me know if I may help you.

Good luck.

N. Marie

Hi A.,

I was just skimming over your message and saw Paden Elementary School. Why don't you message me? My dad's Partner is the Principal of Paden school and I will call him and see what he says. Hopefully your son can get in! I know its a great school with some awesome programs and Parent/Teacher involvement.

Hi A.,

To answer your questions:

1. No. You are not locked in. Ever. Kids move in and out of districts all the time. And, it's good that you're looking at your options before he actually starts.
2. It should be just as easy as anywhere. By law, you are entitled to go to your neighborhood school and you should not run in to any problems - unless there are waiting lists or special lotteries for the school in your neighborhood.
3. People from surrounding areas can get in to a school not in their neighborhood through different ways.

a) being employed by the school district, but living outside of it and sending their own children through that district.

b) also, say you work in Alameda and want your child to go to school there because that is where you work. (You need to go to the District office and petition to do so.)

c) getting a transfer from you home district and being given the option to transfer in to the receiving district - in this case Alameda.

Option C is difficult because Oakland has a bad rep.

As a teacher, I would ask you to visit your current neighborhood school - just to check it out. Also, visit the school in Alameda. You might be a little bit shocked to see that in Oakland we work darn hard to provide a quality education (despite tremendous odds and pressures on teachers and students)to every one of our students. Perhaps you'll want to take my suggestions with a grain of salt. You see I'm a kindergarten teacher in deep east Oakland...

I don't have a lot of useful advice but I did internships at a Berkeley school and an El Cerrito school and both of them had tons of kids who didn't live in the school district. It was common for parents to use a friend or relative's address to get the kids into the district. The kids will say outright that they live elsewhere but the teachers and administrators don't really care from what I've seen. Maybe you could find a friend or relative that would let you use their address to enroll your child in Alameda. Maybe Alameda is more strict though. I don't know.