Getting a Leg Up on the Registration Process for Public Schools

It seems like the more involved I am with mapping, the more uses I find for creating maps. For instance, I recently came across an article mentioning that choice enrollment deadlines for Jefferson County public schools are nearing.

For those of you unfamiliar with the public school system here in Jeffco, each family is assigned to a neighborhood school, but you can enroll your child in any public school within the county. Sounds great huh? If your neighborhood school is ranked poorly or just doesn’t suit you, you can pick another. But here’s the catch: while the registration deadline for your neighborhood school is typically sometime in August (just before the beginning of the school year), the registration deadline for a non-neighborhood school is sometime in January, and acceptance is determined by a lottery process which is subject to available space.

So how do you know which school of is best for your kids? With so much invested in your child getting a good education, and with so many options, it’s important to pick a school that matches your values and meets your child’s learning needs. That’s why even though my oldest child is not quite four, I’ve decided to get a head-start on researching elementary schools in my area.

Pulling scads of statistics from Jeffco Public Schools website, here’s a recap plot of all I’ve learned.

Now that I have the information to narrow down my search, I can pick the top few schools to visit in person. Once we have all the facts, my family and I can pick a school that will mold my daughter into a lifelong learner. Wish me luck, and to you parents out there getting ready to make this same decision, good luck to you!