Universal Enrollment Would Soothe Parents’ School Stresses

If you are a parent, it’s one of the first things you think of when buying a home: where will my kids be going to school? Getting one’s children seats in a highly-rated elementary, middle, or high school is a tip-top priority for conscientious parents from coast to coast, and Philly moms and dads are no different. If anything, the stakes are even higher here: many of our neighborhood schools are considered low performers, making the limited number of seats in charter and religious schools all the more desirable. Unfortunately – and this is a problem magnified intensely by families fresh to the area – Philadelphia’s current school-enrollment system is a labyrinthine tangle of paperwork, red tape, and multiple, uncoordinated deadlines boggling enough that experts believe students’ equality of access is being threatened. After all, the current system indirectly privileges parents who have the time and resources to run around filling out and delivering multiple paper applications and shuttling their kids all over town.

Philly’s current school assignment system is confusing and, experts claims, unfair to underprivileged students. A new central assignment system would be a boon to working parents and those new to the area.

Other parts of the country (some pretty darn close to home) have completely rejiggered the school enrollment process, streamlining the application, interview, and deadline phases into a single-step procedure that’s winning praise from education pros. Philadelphia is considering a similar process. Under the universal enrollment proposal being considered by district officials, parents would apply for school placement by means of a centralized online portal that consolidated applications, interview appointments, and information about educational options in one, easy-to-access place. The district is even working with the Philadelphia Archdiocese to include the city’s exclusive Catholic schools in the portal.

Fingers crossed that the school district pulls this off, because easier enrollment in non-zoned schools would be a dream come true for both current Philadelphia families and those considering a move to the area. Plus, anything that extends greater fairness into the school assignment process is definitely something to be supported. After all, you know how the old song goes…