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[melonrightcoast]

admin asked me to post the information regarding Acton's school choice, and I attended the first kindergarten school choice information meeting last night. it was a general meeting about the process, and i'll post more information and opinions about the individual school as I tour them.

I'll be touring all five elementary schools (Merriam, McCarthy-Towne, Douglas, Gates and Conant) while they are in session, and I believe the 5th & 6th graders do the tours. I'll attend information meetings for all five schools in the evening. Each school has a priority list of students (legacy & walkers). Parents rate the schools in order that they prefer them (1st - 5th). If your first choice has too many parents wanting it than spaces available, then there is a lottery. If you do not get in by the lottery, you get your second choice, unless that one is also full, then third choice, etc. According to the school district, 90% of kids are placed in their parent's first choice.

With the exception of Merriam, each school has three kindergarten sections. One is full-day and two are half-day. Merriam added a third half-day program last year since about 50 more kids enrolled in kindergarten than they had projected. They are expecting to keep that extra kindergarten section next year. A lottery is held for the full day kindergarten, and the cost is $4300/yr. Average kindergarten class size last year was 21.3 students, and the revised projections for next year are expecting an average kindergarten class size of 19.7 students next year.

Each elementary school has a before (7-9am) and after (3-6pm) program. The district runs an extended day program for kindergarteners that are in the half day programs at the Administration Building and at the Conant elementary school. Parents can sign their kids up for 1,2,3, 4 or 5 days and are expecting to be able to accommodate all parents that apply for it.

Please let me know if I've made any errors, as this is just my understanding of what transpired last night.
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