At the December 13, 2023, public meeting, the Sea to Sky School District Board of Education approved updates to Policy 501, Student Registration, Enrollment and Placement. The updated policy includes moving from a first-come-first-serve model to a more equitable lottery system for families. This change will apply to families who pre-register using an online webform, which will open on January 23, 2024.
Families who are registering children for the 2024-2025 school year will pre-register for schools and district programs using the webform during the designated registration period of January 23-26, 2024. This process has been in place for the last three school years. Priority order was previously determined by a time and date stamp. Now, a new randomized lottery process will be used to equitably determine priority order if there is a need for a waitlist (i.e. French Immersion).
"In the past, families who were not able to log in to the system early in the morning when the online system opened, or families who may have accessibility issues or language barriers, would be at a disadvantage. The lottery system ensures that all families who pre-register their children for school will have an equitable process," added Paul Lorette, Assistant Superintendent.
Enrollment priority order for all students who register after the webform closes will continue to be determined on a first-come, first-serve basis (time and date). (i.e. students who pre-register using the webform and whose placement priority is determined by lottery will have higher placement priority than students who register after the webform closes).
“This change will be invisible to families in that it is an administrative process change. It does not change what families are being asked to do to register their child, and it will not increase the number of waitlists. It will ease the stress of feeling that you have to get up early and hit the send button as fast as you can.”
Introducing this new registration system underscores the district's commitment to fairness and inclusivity.
For more information about the registration process and guidelines for the 2024/2025 school year, please visit the district website here.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
Jenn Morris
Communications Officer
Sea to Sky School District