When my husband and I learned that I was pregnant, we were in no hurry to join the wagon train of young families headed to the suburbs. We loved Hoboken, and kids don’t start kindergarten until they’re five, right? But soon after Sophie’s second birthday, talk at the playground turned from potty training to preschools. I started researching the options and procedures and tried to coherently describe them to Mike. We finally had to make a chart to manage our confusion. Worse yet, I kept hearing rumors that area schools were receiving a record number of applications, and that there weren’t enough spots to go around. Panic ensued.
If you think there are more and more young children in your neighborhood, you’re right. Over the last five years, development has drawn thousands of new residents to the Hudson waterfront. Hoboken University Medical Center reported a 12 percent increase in births in the last five years, Christ Hospital in Jersey City saw a 7 percent increase in only three. Both have added new and improved maternity units.
But another significant trend is emerging—families with kids are choosing to stay longer in this area, as evidenced by school enrollment from nursery and Pre-K through the early grades. Though Jersey City’s 27 elementary schools have seen enrollment rise, the crush is really being felt in Hoboken. Last fall, more than 250 people attended the Hoboken Family Association’s (HFA) school open house, many bringing their toddlers or infants.
Nancy Rossi, director of admissions for the Stevens Cooperative School’s campuses in Jersey City and Hoboken, reported a 50 percent increase in applications between 2006 and 2007. More significant, says Rossi, is the acceptance ratio, which for kindergarten last year showed only one opening for every five applicants. “Ten years ago, I’d see a 50 percent attrition rate between nursery and kindergarten,” she says, “and several more would leave before first grade. Now, we have families staying longer, more siblings, and therefore fewer available spots.”
Having survived the school daze myself, I asked admissions directors, teachers, and other parents for advice.
Start Early
Daycare centers and nurseries usually operate year-round and accept children whenever a spot opens up. But if you’re looking for a formal Pre-K or kindergarten program, especially one that feeds into an elementary school, you need to begin in the fall before you want to start. Open houses begin in October, and applications for private and charter schools usually must be in by New Year’s, with acceptance letters mailed in January for the following fall semester. Each program has age stipulations. For instance, a child born in October who would be eligible for the Hoboken public school’s cutoff date for kindergarten would not be old enough to apply for the Mustard Seed School. In the past, schools were flexible, but with the student boom, most schools will not make exceptions.
Make a List
The phone book lists dozens of public, private, and charter schools in the Hoboken and Jersey City area, many more if you count daycare centers that feature a private kindergarten track. Those who are committed to staying here generally want their kids to be settled into their elementary path well before first grade. Community websites like Kannekt.com are helpful, and the HFA website posts a chart of open house dates along with other useful information.
Narrow it down
Ask yourself the tough questions. Am I willing to drive my child to and from school every day? If it’s a parochial school, am I comfortable with the affiliation or the religious instruction? What is the school’s sibling policy? Is aftercare available, and how much does it cost? Is the kindergarten full-day or half-day? How high do the grades go? Does it “feed” to a middle or high school? Can I afford the tuition? Public charter schools are free, but many have a different focus or curriculum than the district schools. You may be able to indicate which public elementary school you want, but overcrowding has reduced the number of out-of-district students accepted at many schools. Kids requiring wheelchair accessibility, physical therapists, or other considerations are an exception.
Do In-Depth Research
Talk to people you trust, but be wary of playground gossip. Websites and online services can be a great resource for hard data, but take the parent evaluations and ratings based on them with a grain of salt. There is no way to tell if negative opinions have been posted by a disgruntled parent or if glowing reviews have been posted by the school itself. Make a chart to organize deadlines and compare data. Lynn Shapiro, admissions director of Hoboken’s Elysian Charter School, says, “Know what you want, know what you can live with, and know what you won’t give up. Most importantly, visit the school when the students are there if at all possible. You will know if it feels right.” Karen Westman, head of school, Waterfront Montessori, Jersey City, says, “Visit schools at arrival or dismissal times, introduce yourself to parents, and ask for their insights.”
Apply Yourself
For public schools, find out what documents you need to register. Charter schools usually operate by lottery. You’ll enter your child’s name, and when the lottery is held, you’ll either receive an acceptance or a number on the waitlist, which will give you a pretty good idea of the odds of getting in. Private school is another issue entirely. Essays describing your child and family are usually required, and you will work harder on these than you did on your college applications. Then an interview is scheduled, where your child is observed in a play session while you are interviewed by a school administrator. It’s not necessary to bring the CD of the symphony Jenny composed when she was three. Stevens Coop’s Rossi says, “What we are looking for is a sense that the parents ‘get’ our educational philosophy. We’re also a cooperative, so it’s important to understand how much we believe in the entire family’s participation.” Learn what the school is about before your interview.
The Finish Line…Or is It?
When acceptance letters arrive, many parents will not get their first choice, and some will be placed on a waitlist. But don’t lose heart. Many families end up being very happy with the school they’d considered their backup. Spots open midyear as families move, and there is some attrition as you progress up the grade ladder. Elysian’s Head of School, Carol Stock, says that though its applications have increased 25 percent over the last five years, by the third grade, there was no waitlist at all. A family with a third grader would not need to go through the lottery, and any younger siblings would be guaranteed a kindergarten spot under its sibling policy.
Going Forward
In Jersey City, Our Lady of Czestochowa School has added a program for two-year-olds and expanded its preschool classes from 3 to 11. New facilities are in the works for Stevens Cooperative in Jersey City and All Saints Episcopal School in Hoboken to house its new middle school. The Hudson County Association of Independent Schools has been working to coordinate application deadlines and establish a code of ethics for admissions.
In the public arena, both Jersey City and Hoboken are Abbott districts, providing free, full-day preschool programs. Jessica Peters, director of early childhood in Hoboken, says that this year, the city provided 34 Pre-K classrooms, up from 20 only five years ago, with record retention into kindergarten. In Jersey City, The Ethical Community Charter School has just been approved. More parents are getting involved in local school boards, vowing to improve their systems. Efforts are being made across the board, not just to accommodate the growing population, but to improve the educational opportunities in our area.
“The importance of early childhood education is universally recognized now,” says Westman. “It’s a priority in New Jersey and is part of the Obama administration’s education plan.”
As for us, we did find a great elementary school for our daughter. But since it goes only up to eighth grade, we’ll be starting this whole process again for high school.
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Resources
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Hoboken Family Alliance:
www.hobokenfamily.com
www.GreatSchools.net
www.PSK12.com
Jersey City Board Of Education:
www.jcboe.org
Early To Rise: Childcare and Early Education Consultants,
Jersey City
www.earlytorisejc.com