how does getting into schools work? (Chicago, Glenview: lease, home, transfer)

[Gerrit75]

Hi to all of you,

please excuse the very basic question that I'm going to ask. Let me explain the circumstances before asking:

I'm German currently working for a German company as an expat in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Right now I'm in the middle of getting transferred (together with my wife and two kids (ages 4 1/2 years and 10 months) to Chicago. In Buenos Aires we've been living in the suburbs and not in the city. That's why we're thinking about moving to the suburbs of Chicago. My workplace is right in the loop, so I think Metra will work great for the commute. Don't ask me why, but we're looking at the area around Glenview, Morton Grove, Northbrook etc.

Now my question: How do I get my daughter into public Kindergarten? Let's assume we move to Glenview in the beginning of August 2012. Can I choose to which public school my daughter goes to? She'll be 5 by then. She should start Kindergarten end of August, right? (I need to send her somewhere for her own sake, she's been going to Kindergarten here in Argentina ever since she was 1 year old).

I hope you don't find this foreigners questions too basic...!

Thanks for your help!!!

Gerrit

[chet everett]

Perfectly understandable question.

In a suburb like Glenview and the majority of other desirable areas the school that serves the neighborhood where you live will be where you want to send your children. Generally the district office will be available to answer questions well before the start of school. You may need to supply info about your child's birth date, proof that have had various medical check-ups / immunizations, and you'll be asked to provide proof of where you live (things like a lease and/or bills for utiliities are generally all that is needed), as well as fees for things like supplies. In all it is pretty simple, though the legalese / volume of forms can be comically large: Glenview Public School District #34: Download Forms

If you live inside Chicago or some other area where there are range of schools, some of which may have selective admissions policies to admit only children with specific academic proficiencies, the distance from your home to the most desirable school may mean that you are driving all across town. The various testing deadlines for the upcoming fall term have already passed. This is rather impossible for people relocating from outside the area... There are some neighborhoods where the "local school" as defined by only attendance boundaries has good performance, but the cost / availability of housing in such areas is likely quite costly / hard to come by...

[Hatchetman]

The simplest way to look at it is you need to live within the geographic boundaries that correspond to that particular school. This covers 99% of the situations here in the Chicago area. To register, you will have to bring proof that you actually live there (usually a lease or utility bill) and proof of medical vaccinations.

[ToriaT]

I don't know if public kindergartens take kids that are five years old. I would check on that to see right away. There are certain age requirements. There of course are other options such as private schools to send your kids to. In the suburbs you can't choose the public school your kids go to, you have to be "in the district" so choose carefully where you live. The place you mention have good schools so that should not be a problem. Here is a link regarding the age rules.

FAQs. What Is the Kindergarten Entry Age in Illinois?

[supportyourschools]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

I don't know if public kindergartens take kids that are 5 years old.

I don't understand what you mean by this. Kindergartners start at 5 years old; sometimes 6, depending on their birthdate.

[chet everett]

I don't know if Toria did not read the link she posted but it is clear that in Illinois any child that is is five years old before Sept 1 will be eligible for kindergarten.

The OP's child, currently 4 1/2 will meet that standard with ease.

Originally Posted by supportyourschools

I don't understand what you mean by this. Kindergartners start at 5 years old; sometimes 6, depending on their birthdate.

[AuDiBelle]

Simply contact the school district that you (will) reside in and ask what they need. Typically it will be a copy of the birth certificate, vaccination/medical records, and proof of residency. Typically, you do not get to choose what school she will go to unless you go the private route. It's dependent on your address so search property locations with that in mind. Research what schools you like, and then look at properties in those school district boundaries. School usually begins late August with a September 1st birthday cutoff, but it sounds like she will be 5 by then so no worries there.

[ToriaT]

Okay thanks I typed that sentance before i put the link in. all i recall was there was some kind of deadline on age so thanks everyone for pointing it out.

[Gerrit75]

Thanks for all your input!!!! Now I have a basic understanding of the requirements. So it all comes down to choosing the school(s) and then finding housing in the schools "boundaries".

Right now my daughter is attending a School that follows the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. We have only made positive experiences with it and think it will be easier for our daughter to change from one school to the other (actually from the US to Europe for example) in the future if she is in an IB program. I've learned that there are some public schools that offer it, but not many and not many in neighborhoods that we would want to love in or close to. I guess we'll still have to do a lot of family discussion on this topic

[chet everett]

There are a handful of schools offering IB as way to bolster their otherwise less than promising progress AND there are some schools that use IB like a "super Advanced Placement curriculum". I suspect that if your child is a good student the latter is what you might be considering. If that is the case I doubt you will find a specific "licensed" IB offering in a desirable suburb mostly because the teachers, adminstrators and even parents in the well run school districts prefer the flexibility of merely offering the best students opportunities that do not conform to the IB curriculum....

For younger children they generally will be happy/ succesful in a school that offers an appropriate challenge while if you had a high school student I might encourage you to check Lincoln Park High to stay in sync with the IB courses.