NPHS Public Relations Blog

Registering for the Boston Public Schools can be a complicated process, but if you know all the ins and outs it's a lot easier. Over the next few weeks I'll go through the necessary steps. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me by clicking my name below.

The process is under way now with School Preview Time running through January. You'll actually register by visiting a Family Resource Center between January 5th and February 2nd, 2007. 

The BPS uses a lottery system so you'll need to choose several schools (at least three, but the more the better) and rank them in order of preference. The first thing you'll need to do is to find out which schools you're eligible to apply for.

Boston Public Schools are divided into three zones. If you live in the South End, Back Bay, Lower Roxbury, Mission Hill, Beacon Hill, Fenway, Downtown, Allston, Brighton, Charlestown, or East Boston, you live in the North Zone. You can also choose any school within one mile of your house even if it's in another zone and there are several citywide schools. Fortunately, the BPS has a tool that will help you determine which schools your child can attend. Just go to the BPS "What are my schools?" page. Enter the grade your child will start in 2007 (make sure to check the age requirements for each grade) and your address and click "Get my list of schools."

You'll see a list of about 30-40 schools that your child may register for. You can click the name of the school to see a profile with some basic information (address, test scores, # of students, etc.). This information is currently a year out of date, but the new school profiles should be released in December. The list also shows you each school's hours and each school has a T, a W, or both next to its name. The T means that your child would be eligible for bus transportation for the school. The W means your child will receive walk zone preference for the school meaning you have a better chance of getting in. You'll notice that some schools show both T and W. That's because walk zone preference is based on your distance from a school "as the crow flies" while transportation eligibilty is based on whether the driving distance from your home to the school is more than one mile.

While the school profiles have some useful information they don't give you much of a feel for the school. So how do you narrow down the list and decide which schools to visit? First, you may be able to eliminate some schools based on geography. Because the zones are large you may find that some schools are so far from where you live and work that you don't want to consider them. You should also consider the hours schools are open. Most schools do have before and after school programs if you need extra coverage. You'll also want to consider which grades are offered. Schools start as early as age 3 (K0) and generally run through either 5th or 8th grade.

Once you're down to a manageable list your next step is to talk to other parents. Even if you don't know anyone whose child is at a particular school you may find that other parents you know have visited the school or know families whose children attend the school. Get as many opinions as you can and then choose which schools you want to visit.

How many schools should you visit? People have different opinions, but most parents visit 3-5 schools. The BPS provides an open house calendar. If there are schools you want to visit that don't have any dates you can make, call the school and see if you can visit at another time. While evening open houses are a great way to meet the principal and other parents, you should also try to visit during school hours. There's just no substitute for visiting a school when it's in session. You'll really get a feel for what the environment is like.

Ok, enough reading. Time to go and choose your schools. Next time, I'll write about how to pre-register and save yourself a lot of time.