District 202 To Again Offer Full-Day Kindergarten Lottery

PLAINFIELD, IL — District 202 will again offer full-day kindergarten to two dozen students picked randomly from each of the district's 17 elementary schools, officials said Monday, continuing its pilot program begun in 2016. Parents can apply online for the random, computerized lottery starting at 7 a.m. on Jan. 28 and continuing through 5 p.m. on Feb. 8, with the lottery scheduled for the morning of Feb. 15.

According to a news release, a computer will assign numbers to eligible students, then sort and pick 24 at random from each school. Officials say families will be notified on Feb. 15 if they have been accepted or placed on a waiting list. Students chosen for the program must complete the registration process by April 5 or they will lose their slot.

On January 14, the district will present a study into the feasibility of implementing full-day kindergarten for all district students, a top priority for the district long hampered by the logistical and fiscal challenges.

The district currently operates a half-day kindergarten program, and despite parents clamoring for full-day kindergarten, the district has not previously had the space to accommodate the more than 1,500 children who would be eligible.

Officials say the full-day and half-day curriculum are the same, but full-day kindergarten allows teachers more instruction time, in addition to more play-based learning.

To qualify for the lottery, students must be five years old on or before Sept. 1, 2019, officials said, without exception. In addition, families with multiple children need only fill out one lottery application, including the name of each child who will be entered in the lottery.

Families without internet access can register online at their child's home school on any regular school day from 9 a.m. Jan. 28 to 5 p.m. Feb. 8, officials said.

The program is not free. Full-day kindergarten tuition will be $100, in addition to a $90 registration fee. Officials say the $100 will go toward offsetting the cost of additional staff and resources needed to expand the program.

For more information, visit psd202.org.

Image via District 202