Sacramento parents could face lottery uncertainty over school transfers
Parents at Theodore Judah Elementary in Sacramento are upset after learning their first-grade class is overenrolled, with a lottery potentially deciding if their children must transfer schools.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Parents at Theodore Judah Elementary in Sacramento are grappling with uncertainty after learning their first-grade class is overenrolled, with a lottery system potentially determining if their children will need to transfer schools.
Amanda and Jim Littlejohn, whose daughter just started first grade at the school three blocks from their home, said they were blindsided by an email from the principal.
“We were getting excited. We went back-to-school shopping. Out of the blue, we get this email, and it was bizarre,” Jim Littlejohn said.
The email informed parents that the first-grade class at Theodore Judah Elementary was over capacity and asked for volunteers to transfer their children to another school.
“It was like whoa, this is dramatic. It took a while to process, and I texted my wife. Don’t check your email,” Littlejohn said.
The change comes after California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Sacramento City Unified School District earlier this year, alleging that its previous method of handling overenrolled classes discriminated against Black, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and homeless students. The district previously transferred students based on when they enrolled but has now agreed to use a lottery system to address overenrollment.
Under the new policy, parents are first asked to volunteer to transfer their children. If a kindergarten through sixth-grade class remains overenrolled after 15 school days, a lottery will determine which students are moved.
“Let’s say we volunteer. Where’s the list of schools that are underenrolled? Oh! We don’t have, we don’t know. Then what are we even volunteering for?” Littlejohn said.
The district stated that teachers can choose to accept additional students above the cap, or parents can opt to volunteer. The exact number of students impacted will not be known until the 15-day window has passed.
Jim and Amanda Littlejohn said they will not volunteer to transfer their daughter but hope the situation does not come down to a lottery.
“So we’re in this damage control. What can we do if we get chosen?” Littlejohn said.
Certain exemptions apply to the lottery system. Students with siblings at the same school, foster children, homeless students, and those with disabilities are exempt from being transferred.
The district has also formed a work group to review the process. The group will include staff from schools most affected by overenrollment and parents of students who have been transferred. They will analyze data on how the policy impacts students and gather community input.
Public meetings are planned throughout the school year to address the issue.
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