Frequently Asked Questions About School Registration

What is the Controlled Choice Plan?
Students register, and are assigned to school in Cambridge, under a Controlled Choice Plan which uses a variety of diversity factors and assignment preferences, including socio-economic status (determined by free and reduced price meal eligibility,) siblings, proximity, and race or ethnicity in a narrowly tailored manner.

When parents or guardians complete their application forms at the Family Resource Center they have the option of identifying up to three choices of schools. At that time they will be asked to voluntarily indicate eligibility for free and reduced price meals.

For the school year beginning in Sept. 2004, 94% of all families received one of their first three choices of schools after the first registration cycle.

To view the CPS Controlled Choice Policy, click on the link under Highlights on this page.

How Exactly Does the Assignment Process Work?
Beginning in January, there are enrollment rounds on a monthly basis. Each application is assigned a random number for what is essentially, a lottery system.

After the socio-economic capacities are determined, preference is given to: siblings and proximity, siblings, and then proximity. All first choice requests are filled first, then second and then third choices are filled based on availability of seats in a given school.

I have both sibling and proximity for my first choice school; am I guaranteed a seat in the school?
Although this is the highest preference an application could be given, there is no guarantee for a space, as there may not be enough open seats for all who apply.

My child attends the Tobin Montessori school. Do I have to register him/her for Kindergarten?
No. Once you have registered your child for the Tobin Montessori program, you do not have to re-register him/her for Kindergarten.

Why am I waitlisted at a school with empty seats?
To fulfill the regulations based on the controlled choice plan, all entering kindergarten classrooms must be plus or minus 10% of the district-wide K-8 percentage of students who are eligible for free and reduced price meals. Children of one category may not fill seats saved for those in the other category.

If I am waitlisted for a school, what does that mean?
Please see the information below about the waitlist.

What should I do if I missed the first registration deadline?
Register at the Family Resource Center as soon as you can.

I live in another state, what should I do to register my child?
If you are coming from another country or another state call the Family Resource Center for information. 

What is the trend in mandatory assignments?
Since 2000, the mandatory assignments for first round registrations have been cut in half, to approximately 6% of applicants.

What is a hardship appeal, and if I am waitlisted, should I file an appeal?
Parents/guardians of a kindergarten child whose child has not been assigned to one of the three choices indicated on the application form, and who can show that the assignment to the school to which their child has been assigned will cause a hardship, may appeal the assignment. In order to show a hardship, parents/guardians must show that the child has extraordinary educational needs that cannot be met at the assigned school, and can only be met at the requested school, or that requiring the child to attend the assigned school will subject the child to an unsafe learning environment. (p. 15 – 16, Controlled Choice Plan)

View the Wailtist Process FAQs >>