Enrollment FAQ


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1016374_10200637326990968_1236856667_n-300x225 Enrollment FAQQ.  How do we apply to DCS Montessori?

A.  Click here.


Q.  Are Scholarships Offered?

A.  We do offer a limited number of scholarships annually to our 3-year-old Preschool students. To apply for a scholarship, you first need to complete a Preschool Scholarship Application. You will do this after July 1st but prior to August 1st the year your child starts school with us. Under 2023 Universal Pre-K guidelines, there is no tuition for 4-year-old Preschool; however, you are required to apply through the State. We will email all enrollees with instructions.


Q.  I missed the Deadline, how can I apply?
A.  For Preschoolers, you will still download and complete the Lottery Application for the appropriate school year. Applications received after the lottery deadline will be added to the wait list in the order received.

For K-6, if you missed the Open Enrollment Round 1, you will apply through the Open Enrollment Round 2 Process.  Click the Open Enrollment button at the bottom of this page.


Q.  How do you decide which children are accepted?

A.  For all grades, our school uses an annual lottery system for accepting new students. Applications submitted by the deadline are randomly sequenced. The lottery process fills vacancies. Preference will be given in the following situations and order for students who have entered the lottery or Open Enrollment:

1. Staff member children will be given preference not to exceed 10% of the population of the school, with in-district accepted first, followed by those out-of-district.

2. Siblings will be given preference if space is available in a particular grade. Siblings of in-district students will be accepted first, followed by siblings of out-of-district students. If a sibling space is offered, and accepted, and later declined by the parent, or the student is withdrawn, the student is no longer considered a sibling for future years.  Siblings who meet the criteria in #3 below will be given additional points to move up the list.

3. Students entering the 1st grade and higher who send proof of prior Montessori education will be given preference depending on the number of years of Montessori experience.  Parents must send us a letter on the previous school’s letterhead listing the dates of enrollment for 1 or more years of education. The letter must also state the names of student’s teachers and their Montessori Certification Type. A new letter must be submitted with each application.

4. Students who do not meet any of the above criteria will be accepted based on space availability in a particular grade level with in-district students being accepted first and out-of-district students being accepted second. Our school does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, sex, gender or disability.

*Please note that if you move to Douglas County after you apply to our lottery, even after the lottery is conducted, you simply need to provide us with your new proof of residency and we will move you into the “in county” list.


 

Q.  I need childcare for my child, how do I apply for that?
A.  When we offer you enrollment, we will also offer you the chance to enroll in our child care programs provided there is space available. If a program is full, we can add your child to the waiting list after you enroll with us.


Q.  When / how will we find out if our child is accepted?
A.  For Preschool, we start offering spaces in November where we know we have vacancies.  Typically we conduct re-enrollment in November as well, therefore, we will continue making offers as we find out about families who are not returning.  We will continue making offers through the winter, spring and summer.  We will never contact you to tell you that you did not get in.  You will either receive an offer via email or you will remain on the waitlist.

For all other grades, we will follow the District timeline for Open Enrollment. Click the Open Enrollment button at the bottom of this page.  IMPORTANT: Upon receipt of an offer of enrollment, and if you wish to accept that offer, you must provide the following three items:

  • Child’s legal, government issued birth certificate.
  • Your proof of residency of a home in the state of Colorado. A copy of your Warranty Deed, Property Tax Bill, Lease Agreement, Deed of Trust, Assessor Parcel Search printout* or Purchase Agreement.  *If property is in Douglas County, visit douglas.co.us/assessor, look up your address, and print out the information.
  • Child’s immunization record or state exemption form.

Q.  We have applied for several children, how does that work?
A.  We send offers as we find out about vacancies. It’s likely you will receive an offer for one child but not the others. Call us at that time and we can tell you where your other children are on the waitlist. Once you enroll one child, others will receive sibling priority; however, we will not move siblings who applied after the Lottery nor Open Enrollment Round 1 above any student who applied prior to the deadline.


Q.  What will we need to do upon our acceptance?
A.  For Preschool, we will email you to notify you that there is a position available for your child. You will then have a minimum of 24 hours to respond. If you do not respond to our offer within the allotted time, or if you decline our offer, your child’s name will be removed from our waitlist and your application packet will be shredded. If you want to be placed back on the waitlist, you will re-apply and your child’s name will be added to the bottom of the waitlist.

For all other grades, we will follow the District guidelines for Open Enrollment.


1016374_10200637326990968_1236856667_n-300x225 Enrollment FAQQ.  How do we find out where we are on the list?
A.  For Preschool, we notify all families who enter our lottery of the results via email.  If you apply after the lottery, we will send an email letting you know where your children are on our wait lists.  We will also notify you if you reach the #1 spot  on a given list.

For all other grades, we offer enrollment following the District Open Enrollment schedule (click the Open Enrollment button at the bottom of the page).  We will also notify you if you reach the #1 spot  on a given list.


Q.  I have heard that Mrs. Smith (or whomever) is a great teacher, can I request her?
A.  We have many great teachers. Please trust our staff to properly place your child in a classroom.  If you are offered enrollment prior to March, we will provide you with an input form prior to classroom assignment so that you can let us know about your child’s learning style.


Q.  If my child does not get into your school this year, will their name be automatically “rolled over” for next year?
A.  We do not roll our lists over from year to year; therefore, you’ll need to apply annually until your child is enrolled.


Q.  If I haven’t heard from DCS Montessori yet does this mean my child won’t get into your school?
A.  The good news is, not necessarily. We continue to place students from our waitlist as we have vacancies.  For Preschool, we make offers throughout the school year.  For all other grades, we will follow the District guidelines for Open Enrollment.


Q.  I previously toured the school and don’t have a sticker to affix to my application. Do I have to tour again?
A.  Although we’d love to see you again, the answer is “no.” Simply write the month and year that you toured where the sticker should go. We have found that parents who tour and enroll, stay enrolled. Parents who don’t tour sometimes withdraw – and the reasons given are (unfortunately) school procedures which are clearly explained during our tours. We have had parents withdraw because they didn’t know students are in multi-grade classrooms, for example.  It’s very important that you attend a tour before or very soon after you apply.


Q.  If our student does attend DCS Montessori, will we have to participate in the Lottery each year?
A.  Once your child is a student here, they will have continuous enrollment here as long as you re-enroll them. Once a child leaves DCS Montessori, they must re-apply.


Q.  Are there school buses for students?
A.  We do not have bus service to our school. Parents will need to provide transportation to the school for their children. Therefore, we strongly encourage carpooling to diminish traffic congestion.


Q.  What are the Student to Teacher Ratios?
A.  We have fewer students per teacher than the traditional Douglas County Public Schools. For a class of 29 students, Primary rooms (ages 3-6) will have a Montessori Certified teacher and two trained assistants, for a student/teacher ratio of 10:1.  In the afternoons our Primary classrooms only have Kindergarten students and the ratio is  approximately 12:1.  Lower and Upper Elementary classes of approximately 28 will have a Montessori certified teacher and one trained assistant for a ratio of approximately 14:1.


 

1016374_10200637326990968_1236856667_n-300x225 Enrollment FAQ

Click Here for information about the Douglas County School District Open Enrollment Process

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