4 answers

Question About Lake Harriet School

My daughter will be in kindergarten next year and our neighborhood school is Lake Harriet. She currently attends a private Montessori school and we'd like for her to stay through kindergarten because it's such an important year in Montessori (and the public school doesn't offer full-day kindergarten).

I've been told that even though Lake Harriet is our neighborhood school there's no assurance that she'll be able to get in for first grade because of its popularity. Is this true? I've called the district office and can't seem to get an answer. LH is one of the reasons we picked our neighborhood.

Thanks!

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So What Happened?™

Thanks for the posts! I visited LH and spoke with the principal. Indeed, it is a popular school (all the other parents o the tour were from outside the area) and she won't be guaranteed a slot for first grade if we don't send her to kindergarten. I'm hoping we can continue sending her to montessori in the morning and then she'll attend the afternoon class at LH. It helps that the p.m. class doesn't start until 1 p.m.

More Answers

Have you tried contacting Student Placement Services for Mpls Public Schools?

If Lake Harriet is your neighborhood school, I would think that you would be given a right to send your daughter there over someone from outside the area, but I can't tell you for sure.

Student Placement Services.
1250 W. Broadway
Minneapolis, MN 55411

Phone: ###-###-####
Fax: ###-###-####

Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F.

E-mail: ____@____.com

And as the kindergarten teacher noted, there is "before" or "after" school care for kindergarteners who are in the half day sessions.

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Hi J.,
Thanks for your post. My husband and I are thinking of moving to that area for LH school as well! I know from some research at the Mpls Schools website that the neighborhood kids are placed first in their neighborhood schools, then the remaining slots are given to kids who have chosen that school but live somewhere else. While I think the poster before me had better information, I thought I'd share what I know. Best of luck to you - maybe we'll be neighbors someday!
A. K

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Hi! I teach K for Minneapolis Public Schools and know quite a bit about Lake Harriet. It is a wonderful school! They do have an on-site child care called Minneapolis Kids that is kind of an extension of kindergarten...lots of kids go there before/after kindergarten. I know a few families with kids at LH (in K) and they really love it. Could you do half day at Montessori and half day at LH?

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There is probably almost no chance you'll get her in for first grade. So many families who live in that community request it for K, that they fill up all the slots.

If you want any popular Minneapolis school, you MUST get your choice card in by the deadline, the January before K starts.

You could visit other schools to see which ones you'd want instead (and find out the likelihood of getting her in for first), but I think I would just go ahead and start her at Lake Harriet for K or you will regret it later.

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Next question: Recs for Montessori/preschool near South Mpls?

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