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Miami Elementary School Shakedown – A Rant
So DS will be Kindergarten age-ready (Students entering kindergarten must be 5 years old on or before September 1) Sept 2014. Everyone keeps warning me about the competition for South Miami elementary schools. Time to start researching I say to myself.
While we’ve narrowed down our list…(Private school rant will get a future post.)…DH and I figured we should strongly consider our nearest public Miami elementary school – Sunset Elementary. “It’s amazing!” “The Language Program!”
Fine. So I start on the Miami-Dade website and get a little overwhelmed. First off, I confirm that we’re in Sunset’s boundary lines:
Miami-Dade Elementary School Boundaries Map – CLICK HERE
And I find out Sunset is indeed our closest school- BUT…it’s part of “Controlled Choice” Schools which include:
Coral Gables Preparatory
George Washington Carver Elementary
Sunset Elementary
So I have to basically apply for this lottery. When I apply, I have to rank the schools in the order that I would want. So I call the district then I call the school directly. I ask, “This is my closest school. Doesn’t that help my chances?”And I’m told, “There’s kids that live across the street and they don’t get in.”
Living near to the school helps. But it doesn’t guarantee.
Great.
Now, everyone has told me that “Sunset Language Program” is “What you want.” So, since this is “What I want” I ask the district and the lady at Sunset to give me info on the program.
Guess what? Even if we get the magic lottery ticket and are accepted to the school we still have to apply in October of his Kindergarten year for the Magnet program. The application is open to anyone. Not just anyone currently at Sunset. Anyone in the district. Even anyone NOT in the district. Contrary to those Damn South Miami Mommy Rumors- Your child DOES NOT have to have a dual citizenship passport to get into the program. (There are some instances where having such a passport would help- I’m not going into that since it doesn’t affect us. )
Again, living near to the school helps, so does being already a student. But it doesn’t guarantee.
Yay.
The lady on the phone then tells me, “Honestly, the only difference between the kids in the language program and the kids not in the program is the kids in the program get one additional hour of language every day. They have the same teachers, the same curriculum, it’s just the language class after school.”
Honestly, that makes me feel a little bit better. I guess. I’m still annoyed that I thought Sunset Elementary would be an easy choice for us.
Oh yeah. Then there’s the Gifted program. Post on that later.
I need a glass of wine.
-MMM
Application Guidelines
Eligibility: Students must reside within the designated controlled choice boundary of school selected. Applications are accepted between grades K-5. Proof of address is required at the time of application. All applicants are subject to verification of address for eligibility purposes.
Timelines: Application period begins March 15th, annually. Contact appropriate Region or school for specific dates.
Process: Applications are available at each controlled choice school. Applications are completed and submitted at the schools. At this time, parents are advised whether additional documentation is needed.
Student assignment is determined by computerized random selection twice yearly, in May and July, based on seat availability per school and grade level. Additionally, the following weighted factors are considered:
• siblings (living together) with proximity to school;
• siblings with no proximity;
• proximity with no siblings; or
• no siblings or proximity.
All students that apply through this process will receive a school assignment. Parents will receive a letter, via U.S. mail, notifying them of their child(ren)’s school assignment.
Magnet Application period:
Oct 1 –Jan 15
Application deadline:
Jan 15
Random Selection process Feb 28
Notification Period Mar 15
Response to Notification Due Mar 29
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Annabelsays
So what happened with the school lottery??? I nearly lost my mind for the last few months only to find out at the end that my child will be sent to Carver Elementary.
Annabel, can you give me some more information? You mean they never made you apply for the Controlled Choice Lottery? Was Carver your first choice? PLEASE tell me more!
Didnt see your response sooner. My first choice was CG prep, 2- sunset and a distant 3 Carver. I live 4 blocks away from Coral Gables prep. I cried when I got the card that said Carver. Only in Miami do you spend thousands of dollars in taxes to see your child go to a C rated school and not in their neighborhood. I keep telling myself that it will be OK and that if I don’t like it after a year that I will look at other options.
First of all, THANK YOU for responding! I’m so sorry that you couldn’t get into your preferred school. I can only imagine how frustrated I would be with the system. As I am relatively new to the area, you are the first person I’ve met that has had to go through the lottery selection process, and I think other people that may read this post will also be appreciative to hear your experience. I thought I had read that there is no appeal process, is that true? Can you apply for Sunset’s Language program (or some other magnet program) next year?
One of my Dade-School sources told me recently about Henry S. West Laboratory School, in Coral Gables. Have you heard of them? They are also a magnet school, so I’m not sure what the application process is for them. Big hugs, Annabel. Please keep us updated!
I was actually surprised on how little information there was on the web of this whole thing. I applied to Ada Merritt (top notch magnet K-8), Henry W Lab (UM supported magnet and they require a separate application that you must pick up at the school), Somerset Academy Somi (Charter school, their application is online and they don’t even send you a letter of denial), and Somerset Academy Gables. He didn’t get into any of them. When I asked about the waitlist we are very far down, but hey anything can happen.
For an appeal. Sure you can appeal, but what that means is that you can ask the district to send you to a different school that has capacity. David Fairchild is a popular option because its an A school, but far for me. And if you take the transfer school you are off the waitlist for CG and Sunset. CG Prep and Sunset are “already full” and they will let me know in September if there may be a spot.
I’ll apply again next year. The sad part is that it doesn’t get easier for the top middle schools and high schools are also by lottery for the magnet programs which are amazing. I went to high school for an engineering magnet program here in Miami and I was more than prepared for college.
By the way, I enjoy your other posts and your research.
Mommy Mafia MIAMIsays
The whole reason I started this site was because of the lack of information available to parents in Miami, it made me crazy trying to find anything! In regards to Ada Merritt, I have heard amazing things. Of the other schools you mentioned, I only recently learned of Henry W Lab, and have not heard of the others, so this is excellent information, for me personally and for anyone else that stumbles on this post. Is the wait list also based on a lottery system? Do you have to reach out to each school to be added to the wait lists? I suppose that you also were not prepared to become an expert in the circus of Miami-Dade schooling, and yet, here you are! Fingers crossed for you and your family in next years lottery.
Thank you for your compliments *blushing* you made my day! Are you following us on Facebook? There is a small group getting together this Thursday and it would be great to meet you! Or perhaps at an event down the road. Either way, thanks again for your honesty and sharing with us all!
Mimi Millersays
Sigh, I am so so nervous about this year and applications for kindergarten. I don’t even live in CG or CC. I’m applying for a transfer so I’ll be waaaaayyyyy down the freakin’ waiting lists for all those. I just want to blink and know where she is going. Back up is spending a ridiculous amount on private school which I really don’t want to do.
Mimi, thank you for your response! Do you happen to know the “waiting list” protocol? I need to find the information on transfers for those living outside of controlled choice and add that info here. But I agree. The stress of “not knowing” is ridiculous!
You are automatically put on the waitlist of the Controlled choice school when you don’t get your top choice. For the magnet schools you are also put on the waitlist from your original application. At least the magnets give you a #, for CG no one has given me an answer on the waitlist and my #. It’s all very secretive. There are so few A schools left in miami. The new school grades came out this weekend.
I am glad to share because this whole process has been very stressful and I took it as a rejection to my child and was hurt by the whole thing.
I will do private as a very last resort, I’d rather save for college.
I think we would ALL rather save that $$ for college! Good Luck to you Annabel. And you know and we know that this was NOT a rejection of your child at all. It’s just politics and red tape. The concern and love for your child is what will set him/her on the right path. You will be ok, and so will your child. Please, if you ever need to vent, the Mafia is here for you!
Happy to report that at the last minute I received a call from Somerset and was able to transfer. Today was a great first day of schooI. figured I would post how thankful I am and not just complain. 😉 I hope to make it to one of your future events. I was on vacation for the last one.
Thanks for the great information. Has anyone applied to both the magnet school lottery and the controlled choice school lotteries during the same year? The deadlines are different.
I applied to everything last year. First to the magnets (limit of 5) which the deadline is usually early January. Henry West Lab had its own application separate from the magnet last year and I had to pick that up at the school. Controlled Choice has a deadline of early to mid April, but you need to make an appointment to get everything turned in on time, so for those you contact one of the 3 controlled choice schools. In addition to these choices, there are the individual applications for each charter school. I wouldn’t rule out charter school applications. I wish you the very best of luck!!!
Thanks so much for your reply. Can you hold on to an acceptance at a magnet program, and still apply to the controlled choice lottery? Or do you have to forfeit your acceptance in order to apply?
Great blog! Have you done your research on private schools. I looked for your future “rant” that you mentioned in this article on your blog posts but could not find. I am just curious because I am shocked at the competition. I have two friends that were rejected at all three schools they applied to. It is so scary so I’d love to hear your perspective on private elementaries you will share.
Thank you Marcia! You know, I haven’t written that post. The Little One enters Kindergarten next year and so I’m still waiting to see if he is accepted to Sunset. But you are spot on about the competition, it’s incredible that at the prices these schools are charging, the demand is still so high for admission! I too, know of families who were not accepted to Carrollton and Gulliver.
I have visited (not ranked in any particular order, but distance is a big factor for me, so these schools are the ones that would make the most sense) Riviera, Gulliver, St. Thomas Episcopal Parish, and Alexander Montessori. I was impressed with each school for different reasons. My biggest “rant”regarding the private elementary schools, is, hands down, the prices these schools can demand. It’s insane.
FYI, I was told by the Gulliver admissions counselor, that competition for entry into First Grade was the toughest of all, because most of the area private preschools end after Kindergarten.
*Sigh*. Fun, fun. Good luck with your search! Thank you for stopping by!
Anyone know if a gifted child can request a transfer to any school of choice with a gifted program? Thx for all the info. This has been a very helpful site for me!
Hi Marcia! I’m sorry, I don’t know how the district handles the gifted program 🙁 hopefully someone else can help!
Thank you for your compliments regarding the site- it made my day!
ANNA PRIETOsays
So whats the status Mommy Mafia? Where is your little man? We had the same issues we were placed in Carver although our choices were Gables and Sunset so we choice to “appeal” as someone else brought up and ended up at David Fairchild Elementary We are disappointed with it and hope that as we apply now for magnets, controlled choice and charters we will have a better experience than we have thus far. Sad that Coral Gables is the only city with Controlled Choice in all of Miami Dade County and that most of us choose to buy homes without that information and allowed real estate agents to state the schools in the area as though we would have that choice as do other neighborhoods.
Hi Anna,
We made the decision to put him in Private school. At the time, the “lottery” decision was too stressful and if we didn’t put down the $$ for a deposit on private school, we risked not getting in. It’s been a blessing in disguise. We are very happy.
Since this is a topic near and dear to me I wanted to post this update. Controlled choice has now changed to boundaries. At least the stress is less now that you know where yous child can go.
Thanks for returning to post, Annabel! Yes, I’m aware that it has changed to boundaries. It’s been on my mind to do a boundaries post. I’m glad that the parents were able to fight the school district and force the change. I was following the parents on both sides of the fight, but obviously, I was hoping for this result. I suspect the competition will get even tougher for the magnet programs. Thank you again for stopping by and sharing your personal experience!
Hello,
We were very lucky and our daughter was accepted for the 1st grade in sunset elementary (magnet Spanish program). We already did the registration but yesterday we had a call from somerset gables academy and she was accepted also there!!!!
We don’t know what to do. There is no issue of distance because we live in south Miami but we work in Coral gables. The only question is what will be best for her. Somerset gables academy looks more clean, has less kids but which one will be better for our daughter?
We have to give an answer until Monday morning and we are very confused. I would appreciate your opinion.
I know I’m a bit too early, but I have twins entering kinder next school year. I also live in south Miami, and wanted to know if when you initially applied to somerset did u check off the 2 mile ratio and if that helped in their selection. Please share what you finally decided to send and your experience for 1st day of school. Congrats!
Hi Vanessa,
my final decision was Sunset and hopefully i will not regret it.
When i applied for Somerset Gables Academy i was living inside the 2 miles distance. I am not sure if that helped in their selection but i cannot exclude it.
Anyway, my daughter’s 1st day experience in Sunset was awesome. She liked it a lot.
I was the only one concerned because the school is old, too many kids and more…
Probably we parents worry to much….
Good luck with the schools that you will decide to apply for your kids.
Thanks for the update. I’m sure your daughter will be fine, but I do understand your concern. That’s the same thing I was wondering since I know sunset is a larger school than somerset. Good luck!
Reading back through the comments it seems to be an annual thing for me. Last year my daughter entered Kinder and with no space at Somerset, she started at Coral Gables Prep. She loved it and I wanted to a bligger school because believe it will benefit her in building independence at a young age. I liked it so much that I switched my son from Somerset to CG. We are super happy being at a larger school, but personally that was something I was looking for. Somerset was great and I am thankful for the years my kids were there. My husband thinks I give this school thing too much thought, but as a mom I think its my duty to do my best for my kids. Donna, I hope you and your child have an amazing year.
Hi Annabel…I realize that the posts about schools are pretty old…but I am looking for reviews of Somerset Gables. I saw you got in there but then a couple years later switched to CG Prep. We live within the 1 mile radius and there will be two kinder classes next year so i’m trying to learn more about it in case we get in. Any feedback would be great. thanks!
So DS will be Kindergarten age-ready (Students entering kindergarten must be 5 years old on or before September 1) Sept 2014. Everyone keeps warning me about the competition for South Miami elementary schools. Time to start researching I say to myself.
So what happened with the school lottery??? I nearly lost my mind for the last few months only to find out at the end that my child will be sent to Carver Elementary.
Annabel, can you give me some more information? You mean they never made you apply for the Controlled Choice Lottery? Was Carver your first choice? PLEASE tell me more!
Didnt see your response sooner. My first choice was CG prep, 2- sunset and a distant 3 Carver. I live 4 blocks away from Coral Gables prep. I cried when I got the card that said Carver. Only in Miami do you spend thousands of dollars in taxes to see your child go to a C rated school and not in their neighborhood. I keep telling myself that it will be OK and that if I don’t like it after a year that I will look at other options.
First of all, THANK YOU for responding! I’m so sorry that you couldn’t get into your preferred school. I can only imagine how frustrated I would be with the system. As I am relatively new to the area, you are the first person I’ve met that has had to go through the lottery selection process, and I think other people that may read this post will also be appreciative to hear your experience. I thought I had read that there is no appeal process, is that true? Can you apply for Sunset’s Language program (or some other magnet program) next year?
One of my Dade-School sources told me recently about Henry S. West Laboratory School, in Coral Gables. Have you heard of them? They are also a magnet school, so I’m not sure what the application process is for them. Big hugs, Annabel. Please keep us updated!
I was actually surprised on how little information there was on the web of this whole thing. I applied to Ada Merritt (top notch magnet K-8), Henry W Lab (UM supported magnet and they require a separate application that you must pick up at the school), Somerset Academy Somi (Charter school, their application is online and they don’t even send you a letter of denial), and Somerset Academy Gables. He didn’t get into any of them. When I asked about the waitlist we are very far down, but hey anything can happen.
For an appeal. Sure you can appeal, but what that means is that you can ask the district to send you to a different school that has capacity. David Fairchild is a popular option because its an A school, but far for me. And if you take the transfer school you are off the waitlist for CG and Sunset. CG Prep and Sunset are “already full” and they will let me know in September if there may be a spot.
I’ll apply again next year. The sad part is that it doesn’t get easier for the top middle schools and high schools are also by lottery for the magnet programs which are amazing. I went to high school for an engineering magnet program here in Miami and I was more than prepared for college.
By the way, I enjoy your other posts and your research.
The whole reason I started this site was because of the lack of information available to parents in Miami, it made me crazy trying to find anything! In regards to Ada Merritt, I have heard amazing things. Of the other schools you mentioned, I only recently learned of Henry W Lab, and have not heard of the others, so this is excellent information, for me personally and for anyone else that stumbles on this post. Is the wait list also based on a lottery system? Do you have to reach out to each school to be added to the wait lists? I suppose that you also were not prepared to become an expert in the circus of Miami-Dade schooling, and yet, here you are! Fingers crossed for you and your family in next years lottery.
Thank you for your compliments *blushing* you made my day! Are you following us on Facebook? There is a small group getting together this Thursday and it would be great to meet you! Or perhaps at an event down the road. Either way, thanks again for your honesty and sharing with us all!
Sigh, I am so so nervous about this year and applications for kindergarten. I don’t even live in CG or CC. I’m applying for a transfer so I’ll be waaaaayyyyy down the freakin’ waiting lists for all those. I just want to blink and know where she is going. Back up is spending a ridiculous amount on private school which I really don’t want to do.
Mimi, thank you for your response! Do you happen to know the “waiting list” protocol? I need to find the information on transfers for those living outside of controlled choice and add that info here. But I agree. The stress of “not knowing” is ridiculous!
You are automatically put on the waitlist of the Controlled choice school when you don’t get your top choice. For the magnet schools you are also put on the waitlist from your original application. At least the magnets give you a #, for CG no one has given me an answer on the waitlist and my #. It’s all very secretive. There are so few A schools left in miami. The new school grades came out this weekend.
I am glad to share because this whole process has been very stressful and I took it as a rejection to my child and was hurt by the whole thing.
I will do private as a very last resort, I’d rather save for college.
I think we would ALL rather save that $$ for college! Good Luck to you Annabel. And you know and we know that this was NOT a rejection of your child at all. It’s just politics and red tape. The concern and love for your child is what will set him/her on the right path. You will be ok, and so will your child. Please, if you ever need to vent, the Mafia is here for you!
Happy to report that at the last minute I received a call from Somerset and was able to transfer. Today was a great first day of schooI. figured I would post how thankful I am and not just complain. 😉 I hope to make it to one of your future events. I was on vacation for the last one.
Annabel!! What great news!! You must be over the moon. Thank you for coming back to let us know. Congratulations!
Thanks for the great information. Has anyone applied to both the magnet school lottery and the controlled choice school lotteries during the same year? The deadlines are different.
HI Diana,
I applied to everything last year. First to the magnets (limit of 5) which the deadline is usually early January. Henry West Lab had its own application separate from the magnet last year and I had to pick that up at the school. Controlled Choice has a deadline of early to mid April, but you need to make an appointment to get everything turned in on time, so for those you contact one of the 3 controlled choice schools. In addition to these choices, there are the individual applications for each charter school. I wouldn’t rule out charter school applications. I wish you the very best of luck!!!
Thanks so much for your reply. Can you hold on to an acceptance at a magnet program, and still apply to the controlled choice lottery? Or do you have to forfeit your acceptance in order to apply?
Thanks again Annabel.
I didn’t have that experience since we didn’t get into any magnet program. You may need to call the controlled choice office to find out.
Great blog! Have you done your research on private schools. I looked for your future “rant” that you mentioned in this article on your blog posts but could not find. I am just curious because I am shocked at the competition. I have two friends that were rejected at all three schools they applied to. It is so scary so I’d love to hear your perspective on private elementaries you will share.
Thank you Marcia! You know, I haven’t written that post. The Little One enters Kindergarten next year and so I’m still waiting to see if he is accepted to Sunset. But you are spot on about the competition, it’s incredible that at the prices these schools are charging, the demand is still so high for admission! I too, know of families who were not accepted to Carrollton and Gulliver.
I have visited (not ranked in any particular order, but distance is a big factor for me, so these schools are the ones that would make the most sense) Riviera, Gulliver, St. Thomas Episcopal Parish, and Alexander Montessori. I was impressed with each school for different reasons. My biggest “rant”regarding the private elementary schools, is, hands down, the prices these schools can demand. It’s insane.
FYI, I was told by the Gulliver admissions counselor, that competition for entry into First Grade was the toughest of all, because most of the area private preschools end after Kindergarten.
*Sigh*. Fun, fun. Good luck with your search! Thank you for stopping by!
Thanks for the info! Hope your little one gets into Sunset. I hear it is an excellent school
Anyone know if a gifted child can request a transfer to any school of choice with a gifted program? Thx for all the info. This has been a very helpful site for me!
Hi Marcia! I’m sorry, I don’t know how the district handles the gifted program 🙁 hopefully someone else can help!
Thank you for your compliments regarding the site- it made my day!
So whats the status Mommy Mafia? Where is your little man? We had the same issues we were placed in Carver although our choices were Gables and Sunset so we choice to “appeal” as someone else brought up and ended up at David Fairchild Elementary We are disappointed with it and hope that as we apply now for magnets, controlled choice and charters we will have a better experience than we have thus far. Sad that Coral Gables is the only city with Controlled Choice in all of Miami Dade County and that most of us choose to buy homes without that information and allowed real estate agents to state the schools in the area as though we would have that choice as do other neighborhoods.
Hi Anna,
We made the decision to put him in Private school. At the time, the “lottery” decision was too stressful and if we didn’t put down the $$ for a deposit on private school, we risked not getting in. It’s been a blessing in disguise. We are very happy.
Since this is a topic near and dear to me I wanted to post this update. Controlled choice has now changed to boundaries. At least the stress is less now that you know where yous child can go.
Thanks for returning to post, Annabel! Yes, I’m aware that it has changed to boundaries. It’s been on my mind to do a boundaries post. I’m glad that the parents were able to fight the school district and force the change. I was following the parents on both sides of the fight, but obviously, I was hoping for this result. I suspect the competition will get even tougher for the magnet programs. Thank you again for stopping by and sharing your personal experience!
Hello,
We were very lucky and our daughter was accepted for the 1st grade in sunset elementary (magnet Spanish program). We already did the registration but yesterday we had a call from somerset gables academy and she was accepted also there!!!!
We don’t know what to do. There is no issue of distance because we live in south Miami but we work in Coral gables. The only question is what will be best for her. Somerset gables academy looks more clean, has less kids but which one will be better for our daughter?
We have to give an answer until Monday morning and we are very confused. I would appreciate your opinion.
Congrats!!
Hi Donna,
I know I’m a bit too early, but I have twins entering kinder next school year. I also live in south Miami, and wanted to know if when you initially applied to somerset did u check off the 2 mile ratio and if that helped in their selection. Please share what you finally decided to send and your experience for 1st day of school. Congrats!
Hi Vanessa,
my final decision was Sunset and hopefully i will not regret it.
When i applied for Somerset Gables Academy i was living inside the 2 miles distance. I am not sure if that helped in their selection but i cannot exclude it.
Anyway, my daughter’s 1st day experience in Sunset was awesome. She liked it a lot.
I was the only one concerned because the school is old, too many kids and more…
Probably we parents worry to much….
Good luck with the schools that you will decide to apply for your kids.
Thanks for the update. I’m sure your daughter will be fine, but I do understand your concern. That’s the same thing I was wondering since I know sunset is a larger school than somerset. Good luck!
Reading back through the comments it seems to be an annual thing for me. Last year my daughter entered Kinder and with no space at Somerset, she started at Coral Gables Prep. She loved it and I wanted to a bligger school because believe it will benefit her in building independence at a young age. I liked it so much that I switched my son from Somerset to CG. We are super happy being at a larger school, but personally that was something I was looking for. Somerset was great and I am thankful for the years my kids were there. My husband thinks I give this school thing too much thought, but as a mom I think its my duty to do my best for my kids. Donna, I hope you and your child have an amazing year.
Hi Annabel…I realize that the posts about schools are pretty old…but I am looking for reviews of Somerset Gables. I saw you got in there but then a couple years later switched to CG Prep. We live within the 1 mile radius and there will be two kinder classes next year so i’m trying to learn more about it in case we get in. Any feedback would be great. thanks!