Waukee Preschool Registration Met With Confusion and Complaints

The parking lot was full of cars well before dawn and with everyone eagerly checking their lists, you would have thought it was a scene straight out of Black Friday.

Instead, Waukee parents were parked in the lot of the early Tuesday morning waiting to sign up their preschool-aged children for the 2012-13 school year.

Sounds crazy if you're not a parent — waiting in line at all hours of the night just to get a spot in a preschool program — but that's how it works in Waukee.

Registration for the Waukee Community Preschool is held once a year and is first come, first served. Most parents understand that to get one of the few coveted spots — 28 in the 3 year-old program and only seven in the 4 year-old — you have to get up and show up to sign up.

Fighting for Space in the State's Fastest-Growing School System

Rachel Andrews of West Des Moines arrived at the district office Tuesday shortly before 2 a.m. to secure her spot in line. She was hoping to register her 3 year-old twins for spots for the upcoming school year.

"I called and talked to a woman listed on the (Waukee Schools) website and she said the doors opened at 5 a.m.," Andrews said. "I thought if I got there a little early, I'd be good. I got there before 2 a.m. and I was tenth on the list."

The list Andrews referred to is the subject of complaint from some parents. Taped on the door of the Waukee Schools District Office Tuesday was a numbered list where parents could put their names down to note the order in which they arrived to register.

While there are no written rules to dictate what happens after a name has been written down, most parents agree that parents should stay on the premises until registration begins at 5 p.m. A few of the earliest arrivals did not.

"It bothered me," Andrews admitted. "Yeah, it would have been really easy to just sign up and just go home and go back to bed, but that didn't seem right."

Parents Question Procedure for Seeking Spots

Roxanne Cumings, executive director of students services for the Waukee school district, said she hadn't had any formal complaints filed following registration Tuesday, though parents in line heard others' concerns.

"Our preschool program is very good," she said. "It's affordably priced, but we are by no means the only act in town. Frankly, it surprises me that registration has blossomed so much in the past couple years."

Technically, the district's participation doesn't begin until 7 a.m. when registrations are finally accepted. Packets are taken one at a time in the order in which the parent arrived. All registrations are first come, first served and applications are accepted until all spots are filled.

Waukee Superintendent Dave Wilkerson said the district is considering other ways to make the registration process more efficient.

"We've tried different methods over the years," he said. "It depends on your perspective, but we think the way it's done now is fair. That said, we are always looking for other ways to make things easier for everyone."