Q. My child will turn 4 years old after the registration period. Can I still register my child during that time to be included in the lottery?

A.  Yes, if your child will be 4 years-old on or before September 1, 2023, your child is eligible for preschool through LPS for the 2023-2024 school year.

Q. If I register my child on the first day of the registration period will I get my first choice or preferred school?

A.  All students registered during the registration period are randomly assigned a lottery number. Registering your child on the first day or last day has no effect on the lottery number your child will receive. All students registered during that time frame are randomly assigned a lottery number. Preschool placements are made based upon lottery numbers.

Q. Can I register my child during the lottery period and submit my documents at a later time?

A. Only completed registrations which include providing the required documents for registration will be entered into the lottery. Any registrations that are incomplete and/or missing documentation will be added to the waitlist based upon the date all documentation is received.

Q. If my child gets placed at the preferred school I chose, will I get to choose the session I want?

A.  Students are placed at the schools of their choice based upon their lottery number. Preferred sessions are not guaranteed. Diligent efforts are made to diversify the sessions by gender, ethnicity, and language.

Q. What happens if I don't get the school that I chose or want?

A.  All registrants during the lottery period will receive a notice of potential School assignment with clear directions for next steps. All parents/guardians must respond to the notice with either of the following options. 1. Accept the placement 2. Accept the placement but have your child be placed on the waitlist for your preferred school 3. Reject the placement and be placed on the waitlist for your preferred school; or 4. Reject the placement and choose an alternative preschool placement.

Q-What happens if I register my child after the Lottery registration?

A- All registrants that come in after the lottery registration period will be automatically placed on the waitlist based upon the date of registration. Once all lottery participants have been placed and assigned, the EC department then goes to the waitlist and begins offering placements based upon availability and students date of registration.

Q-My child is already enrolled in Lowell Public Schools and has an IEP do I need to re-register her for the next school year?

A-No, you do not need to register your child again for preschool. All students currently enrolled in the Lowell Public Schools preschool program will continue at their current school for the 2023-2024 school year. 

Q- My preschooler has an older sibling in my preferred school. Does this guarantee my preschooler will be assigned to the same school?

A- Unfortunately, sibling preference does not apply to preschool. Assignments are made based upon lottery numbers. Each school that has preschool programming has a varying number of preschool classrooms that limits the amount of preschoolers who can be assigned to that school.

Q-Is my preschooler able to get a bus to get to and from the preschool program?

A- Transportation is not available for preschoolers. Only preschool students who have an Individual Education Plan-IEP which includes transportation are eligible for bussing.

Q- Do all schools offer full day preschool?

A- No. The full day option is only available at the Cardinal O’Connell Early Learning Center and the Greenhalge Elementary School. If you would like to be included in the lottery for full day programming, you must choose one of these 2 schools. 

Q-What happens if I choose the full day for my session choice, but my preferred school only has an AM or PM session?

A- School assignment will be made based upon your choice of schools, not session choice.

Q-What happens if I don't receive notification of a potential preschool placement?

A- All notices of potential preschool placement will be sent to the email address used to register your child. Please check any spam/junk folders. If you do not receive any information and you registered during the lottery period, please contact the EC Department. 

Q-What happens if I don't respond to the notice of potential preschool placement? Will my child still be able to attend LPS preschool in September?

A- If you do not respond to the notice within the designated time frame indicated on the notice, that placement will be given to the next student on the waitlist. Any families not responding to the notice will be added to the waitlist along with late registrants. 

Q- Will my child automatically go to kindergarten at the school she attends preschool at?

A-All students must register for kindergarten. Preschool is considered a 1 year placement only, and has no bearing on their kindergarten placement. Please visit the Family Resource Center page to learn more about kindergarten registration and placement.