Waitlist FAQ

• 1. Is there a waitlist?

• Yes. Families who submit applications between March 15th and April 15th will be included in the initial placement process and will be notified by May 1st if they have been offered a spot for the following September. If your child is not selected and placed initially, or your application is received after April 15th, you will be placed on the waitlist for each SPP location selected on your application. Vacancies are filled on a rolling basis through March of the applying program year.

• 2. Can I rank my preschool choices?

• No. Families are unable to rank their choice in preschools (i.e., 1st choice, 2nd choice) thus please ensure all preschool locations selected would work for your family, keeping in mind address, program hours, and availability of before/after school care. If offered a SPP location that is not your first choice, you are able to decline the offer and remain on other waitlist(s) -OR- accept and enroll at the offered location while remaining on the waitlist for other locations selected on your application.

• 3. When do children on the waitlist get offers?

• Children who are on the waitlist will be offered a seat as they reach the top of the waitlist and as seats become available after the initial selection process. Enrollment will continue on a rolling basis throughout the school year and until March of that school year. Because some SPP sites may have more seats overall and/or higher demand, your child may fall higher/lower on each waitlist. Some of the preschool locations that typically have higher demand include Seattle Public School locations and those that offer before and/or after school care. If you would like to learn more about which locations may have longer waitlists than others, please feel free to reach out to SPP at preschool@seattle.gov or 206-386-1050.

• 4. Where do I fall on the waitlist?

• Students are placed on a waitlist for each preschool on your application.
  Students are placed on the waitlist in order of the program priorities.
  • Homeless and Foster/Kinship Care: Children from unhoused families or in foster/kinship care will receive priority placement.
  • Child’s age: Children who are age 4 on or before August 31 of the school year will receive priority over children who are age 3.
  • Home address: If you select a site that is in the same Seattle Public Schools elementary attendance zone as your home address, you will receive priority for that site over children living in other parts of the city.
  • Siblings: Additional preference is given to children with siblings who will be enrolled/attending SPP at the same time or attending Seattle Public Schools in the same building. To receive preference for an SPS sibling, please include the SPS student ID on your application.
  • Dual Language or Lower Income 3-year-olds: Three-year old children who do not have attendance zone priority will receive priority if they have a household state median income (SMI) below 54% OR if they speak a heritage language AND have a household state median income (SMI) below 94%.

  Please note, we have “moving waitlists” meaning children will be added to the waitlist in accordance with our program priorities (rather than a first come, first serve basis). Thus, your child’s placement on the waitlist may fluctuate depending on new applications being submitted and if families choose to be removed from a waitlist throughout the school year. Please reach out to our staff if you would like more information on where your child falls on a waitlist.

• 5. Do some SPP locations complete their own application/enrollment process?

• • Yes, some SPP locations choose to manage their own waitlist and enrollment process. If SPP notifies you that your child/ren are on a waitlist, it does not include any location that completes their own enrollment. When you are selecting schools, please note any prompts that indicate if you must contact the preschool directly to apply and/or be added to their waitlist.
  • If you are completing an application online, a pop-up window will indicate if you need to contact the preschool location directly. Including locations on your application that complete their own enrollment and choosing the “Refer Me” button is to collect your interest in those sites only. It will be your responsibility to contact those locations to apply.
  • Paper applications (printed out or in PDF/Word format) will have asterisks (**) behind the preschool’s name if they complete their own enrollment. You must contact those locations directly to apply.
  • If you are unsure if you selected a location on your child’s application that completes their own enrollment, please feel free to contact SPP for more information at preschool@seattle.gov or 206-386-1050.