April 8, 2004

‘Total chaos’
Open enrollment quagmire tries parents’ patience

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

It may have been April Fool’s Day, a time for fun and practical jokes, but none of the estimated 200 people who braved long lines at Erikson Elementary School last Thursday were laughing. It marked the first day of the open enrollment period for San Jose schools. It was also the first day where parents with children already enrolled could apply for transfers. Tempers shortened and frustrations escalated as the day wore on.

Without question, the biggest fear stemmed from the possibility of assignments to non-neighborhood schools. According to Bob McPeak, a retired department manager who often fills in during busy periods, the turnout was the highest he had seen in over 15 years. “The line was long and people kept coming,” he said. “A lot of them felt a real urgency, but we simply weren’t able to help everybody.”

Many arrived as early as 4 a.m. Others, including Jenny Angileri, were shocked to see so many people already there by 8:30. Anxious to get her daughter enrolled at Williams Elementary School, she had secured an appointment in February for April 6, but was told that there would be no guarantee that the school would not be filled by then. She decided to forgo the appointment and take her chances in line.

“People had been camped out,” she said. “It was craziness. They started handing out numbered tickets at 8:45, and then began with number 545. Mine was 620 and by the end of the day, they hadn’t gotten to it yet.”

The urgency, according to McPeak, lies in the numbers, which indicate that Almaden schools, including Williams, Los Alamitos, Graystone and Simonds may not be able to accommodate the growing population. “We have way more people in those four schools than we have space,” he added. “There is currently a waiting list at Williams and there probably will be again. So we tell people in those schools that they need to come in because we can’t guarantee anything.”

“That’s really not the case with regard to registration,” said Bob Gonzales, director of Student Assignments for San Jose Unified Schools. “It’s basically running at what we expect. We didn’t close kindergarten registration in the Almaden Valley last year and we’ve actually cleared the waiting list for next year, unless there’s a huge influx of kindergarteners. We’ll know that by the end of April. However, kids enrolling in other grades may be put on a waiting list.”

“I was told on the phone that Williams was one of the last schools to fill up,” Angileri explained. “But today, they said it was one of the first. I understand you’ve got to plan ahead, but this was totally chaotic. I never had this problem with my son.”

Some in line blamed the chaos on the recent closures of Erikson, Hammer and Hester schools, where parents who were unsatisfied with their assignments opted to file for a change of venue.

According to San Jose Unified School District Spokesperson Karen Fuqua, there are always a larger number of parents who register at the south end of the valley and many do not have appointments. “It was no different than our normal numbers and the school closures didn’t really have an impact,” she said. “We had a later enrollment date and that might have been a little more cause for an increase, but not an unduly one. This is our normal process.”

Yet others disagree, sighting those in line who had been affected by the closures. “Half the people in line with me were here because they wanted to get that changed,” claimed Carolyn [last name withheld], who was attempting to register her child at Graystone. “Do you think all these people are registering kindergarteners? They should be prepared for 100 people in line, especially when they’re closing schools. It was really poorly organized.”

Some, including Angileri, blamed it on the organization or lack thereof. “The information was terrible,” she said. “We were told one thing and the next minute told something else. No one had their story straight. Some of us even offered to volunteer, but they said no. It was so frustrating.”

McPeak admitted that he and 10 others working at the center could only accommodate roughly 10 people every hour, nine of which were appointments. By the end of the day on Thursday, less than 80 people had made it inside, while others were turned away and asked to return later.

After waiting until 1:45, Angileri decided to try her luck at the Burnett Center on Hedding. Much to her delight, she was in and out in just over an hour with an enrolled child. “They were way more organized and are doing a good job there,” she admitted. “Unlike Erikson, it was charming and it was quick.”

Wendy Martin found herself back in line on Friday, determined to enroll her child at Graystone. “Although it’s my second day here, I’ve got a low number so it should be pretty quick,” she exclaimed. “I don’t know if we just had a little baby boom or what,” she added. “But for this to not have happened in 15 years is kind of surprising.”

San Jose Chamber of Commerce President Jim Cuneen waited patiently at the back of the line to enroll his youngest in Graystone as well. “You’ve got to anticipate this,” he said. “It’s not the first time they’ve enrolled kids in these schools. I don’t think Graystone will be a huge issue,” he added. “But I’m going to stick it out and see what happens.”

According to Gonzales, parents who enroll their children at neighborhood schools will have verification as soon as they leave the center. If the center tells them that they are on a wait list, it means that they’ve been assigned to another school until and if their neighborhood school can accommodate them. “At the elementary level, we assign by their neighborhood school,” he explained. “If you enroll within the first month, it’s generally not an issue. If you’re requesting a magnet school other than your attendance boundary, then you may not know that until the end of May. If you asked for a transfer to another school, you may not know that until before school starts or after.”

Open enrollment runs from April 1-30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Erikson Center, 4855 Pearl Avenue and the Burnett Center, 110 East Hedding Street. For appointments, call Erikson at (408) 535-6436 or Burnett at (408) 535-6412.