Districts differ on merits of enrollment caps.

Districts differ on merits of enrollment caps. WHEN REGISTRATION OPENED at 7 a.m. on Feb. 23 for kindergarten atthe Evanston/Skokie School District 65, about 120 parents in thesuburban Chicago K8 district were already lined up, as if waiting fortickets to a hot rock concert. The reason: They knew the school board was poised to suspendenrollment policies to allow the district to transfer students out ofthree popular but crowded attendance-area schools. The board indeedsuspended those policies on March 2, with the stipulations that this wasa one-year trial for managing enrollment, that siblings would be givenpriority for remaining at a school, and that after siblings, it would befirst-come, first-served “FCFS” redirects here. For the figure skating competition, see Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.This article is about a general service policy. For the technical concept, see FIFO. . Nationwide Strategy Districts across the country have implemented similar policies toprevent class sizes from becoming too large in schools with swellingenrollments. "Reducing class size is a good strategy because it keeps kidsengaged in learning," says Leonie Haimson, executive director ofClass Size Matters, a nonprofit organization Nonprofit OrganizationAn association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well.Notes:Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. committed to reducing classsize around the nation. "Benefits of smaller classrooms are seen inevery way one can measure success." Barbara Worth, director of strategic and private development forthe Council for Educational Facility Planners International, based inScottsdale, Ariz., says she believes anecdotally that more districts arefacing this situation. "Particularly in urban, high-density areas,where there are some great schools, of course everybody wants to gothere," she says. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Managing Local "Blips" Enrollment caps are typically usedto manage "blips" at certain schools, where longer-termsolutions like redistricting redistricting:see legislative apportionment. , increased class sizes or capital projectsare not necessarily warranted, says Paul Brinson, chief informationofficer at District 65. Sometimes capital projects are in the pipelinebut not yet finished. "What we're trying to do here is manage in the short runa situation that has come up and that we feel, in time, will resolveitself," Brinson explains. "We are aware of how committedparents are to their local school." Some districts use capping more frequently. The Laramie County(Wyoming) School District this year transferred about 250 students outof eight elementary schools, said Ted Adams, superintendent, andsometimes parents grumble. "They're very frustrated that theymoved across the street from an elementary school elementary school:see school. , and their kidcan't go to it. We don't like that, either," he says."But they come to understand that that [lower] class size--eventhough it may not be their neighborhood school--helps us improve studentachievement." The four-elementary-school Forest Park School District 91, justsouth of Chicago, discontinued its enrollment capping policy this year,says Louis Cavallo, superintendent, who spoke with officials inEvanston. Forest Park has switched to grade-level centers, with twoschools for grades K-2 and two for grades 3-5, ending the need forcapping. "The purpose for doing it, to keep class sizes small and havethose small learning communities, was the right decision," Cavallosays. "But the way of doing it didn't work well." Cavallosays the centers haven't been popular with everyone, since childrenpreviously able to attend a school one block away will now have to goelsewhere for three grades. But, "in the end, it was definitely theright decision," he says. Remaining Optimistic op��ti��mist?n.1. One who usually expects a favorable outcome.2. A believer in philosophical optimism.op According to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. Brinson, the Evanston/ Skokie district might not haveto cap enrollment for 2010-2011 after all due to the number of parentsfrom the three affected school areas who asked for placement in eitherone of two magnet schools or another attendance-area school through a"permissive permissiveadj. 1) referring to any act which is allowed by court order, legal procedure, or agreement. 2) tolerant or allowing of others' behavior, suggesting contrary to others' standards. PERMISSIVE. transfer," Brinson says. "I feel prettyoptimistic about it--at least at this stage of the game."--EdFinkel Ed Finkel is a freelance writer based in Evanston, Ill.