2021 Extended Day Lottery FAQs

For the 2021-2022 school year, which schools will have an Extended Day lottery?

For the 21-22 school year, lotteries will be held for all elementary schools. However, the lotteries do not imply that every school will have a waitlist. Instead, the lotteries are a contingency should we have to:

limit enrollment, or
reduce enrollment after school begins due to COVID-related mitigation protocols

In the event that we must limit enrollment, children will be enrolled in order of their lottery number until the program reaches capacity. If enrollment must be reduced after the school year begins, we will “unenroll” students in reverse order of their lottery number. In other words, it would be last one in-first one out. However, we expect to begin the school year under normal operations. Therefore, at schools for which registration does not exceed capacity, all registered children will be enrolled. Typically, Extended Day begins the school year with waitlists at about five of the 32 programs. We work with the school administrators throughout the year to find ways to increase capacity and accommodate children from the waitlist.

Why lotteries?

Lotteries are conducted to ensure that all children have an equal opportunity for enrollment at schools in which demand has exceeded capacity. At schools that have not reached capacity, all registered children will be enrolled. Typically, Extended Day begins the school year with waitlists at about five of the 32 programs.

How will the lottery enrollment numbers be used?

All Phase 1 registrants will be enrolled in Extended Day. The Phase 1 lottery numbers are established as a contingency and will only be used:

if COVID-19 conditions worsen and Extended Day is forced to reduce the capacity of each program due to mitigation protocols. In this case, Phase 1 students will be “unenrolled” in reverse order of their lottery number (highest number will be unenrolled first), if necessary, after Phase 2 students have been unenrolled.

The Phase 2 lottery numbers will only be used:

If the sum of Phase 1 enrolled students and Phase 2 registrations exceed capacity at a school. Phase 2 students will be enrolled, in order of their lottery number, until capacity is reached. Remaining students will be placed on a waitlist.
If COVID-19 conditions worsen and Extended Day is forced to reduce the capacity of each program. In this case, students will be “unenrolled” in reverse order of their lottery number (highest number will be unenrolled first).

How is program capacity determined?

Typically, capacity at each school is based on available space for Extended Day activities and staffing requirements. Extended Day works with administrators to determine which spaces are available and how many children the spaces can accommodate. Staff-to-child ratios also inform capacity limits. Extended Day hires staff throughout the year to allow the programs to accommodate more children (assuming space is also available). For the upcoming school year, capacity made be affected by COVID-19 mitigation protocols which could limit the number of children that a location can accommodate.

When will the lotteries be conducted?

The Phase 1 lottery will be conducted on Friday, June 18th and families will be notified of their lottery number by Wednesday, June 23rd. All students with valid registrations during Phase 1 will be enrolled and the lottery number will only be used if conditions change and we are forced to operate at a reduced capacity.

The Phase 2 lottery will be conducted on Monday, June 28th and families will be notified by Wednesday, June 30th of whether students are enrolled or on the waitlist. All families in Phase 2 will receive a lottery number for use if Extended Day registration exceeds program capacity or conditions change and we are forced to operate at a reduced capacity. If necessary, children will be placed on a waitlist in order of lottery number. Families on the waitlist will also receive a waitlist placement number.

How can I make sure my child is in the lottery?

All children registered in Phase 1 and 2 will be included in separate lotteries. Registration Phase 1 is open from May 25th – June 8th for children who were enrolled for the 2020-2021 school year. If COVID-related protocols do not limit capacity, all children registered during this time will be enrolled and the lottery would be moot (unless enrollment is reduced subsequently due to COVID-related safety concerns).

Phase 2, from June 9th – June 23rd, is open to all families. Children registered during Phase 2 will be included in a lottery and children will be enrolled in order of their lottery number at sites that have not reached capacity.

How are siblings considered for a lottery?

If siblings attend the same school, the family will have one entry in that school’s lottery. If the family number is selected for enrollment all the children in that family will be enrolled. If the family’s number is selected after the program has reached capacity, all the children will be placed on the waitlist. Families registering children for different schools will have lottery numbers at each school.