I turned the corner at 7:00 AM and immediately saw a long line. I have waited in line for movies, concerts, and sneakers. I did not expect to be waiting in line for kindergarten enrollment.
But here we were.
My son had just started kindergarten, and with that we officially entered the school shuffle. We loved his preschool, so he stayed there for TK first so he could have an unofficial senior year with all his best buddies. We live in a great neighborhood with a very highly regarded public elementary school, so we were caught off guard when someone casually mentioned that for kindergarten they might only have one available spot.
We did the school tour, and it is funny how public elementary schools all seem to share the same vibe no matter where you are. I grew up in Canada, yet somehow the auditorium felt instantly familiar. During the tour, we briefly spoke with the principal, who to this day I still cannot quite figure out whether I love or hate. My wife asked her directly about the rumor of only one open spot. She explained that since it is a public school, she cannot ask families outright whether they are returning, but based on the numbers, there would likely be one opening.
Part of you immediately wonders what the point of public school is if the kids in the neighborhood might not actually get in. Apparently, if that happens, it becomes their responsibility to place you at another school within about a two mile radius. Still, we had been walking by this school for as long as we had lived in the neighborhood, always pointing it out to our son and telling him this is where you will go to kindergarten someday. Also, to #humblebrag, my kid is a genius, so why would you not want him at your school.
Enrollment came in two parts. First, you pick up the application. Then, a couple weeks later, you come back to turn it in. Being a naturally nervous person, I showed up for application pickup fully prepared with all the necessary documentation. None of it was needed. They handed me the form and politely ushered me out. As I went in and out through the front door, I noticed a large poster of the Peanuts Gang. At the time it barely registered, but that summer my son became obsessed with Snoopy, which in hindsight feels like foreshadowing.
Application turn in day was the real event. Doors opened at 8:00 AM, but they would not actually start processing anything until 8:30. I debated how early to arrive. Part of me wanted to show up so early that no one else would be there and they would tell me to go for a walk and come back later. I considered 6:30. My wife suggested 7:30. I split the difference and aimed for 7:00. Which is how I found myself staring at that long line.
As I rounded the corner, I immediately saw a long line.
It was hard to tell where I stood since many people were there as couples, and there were even some grandparents. At least, I hoped they were grandparents. It is LA, so you never really know. There was a brief moment when no one lined up behind me, and I had the uncomfortable thought that I might be the very last person who would get in. Thankfully, more people arrived and that feeling passed.
Eventually, we were let into the auditorium and given numbers. Mine was 32. Listening to conversations around me, it sounded like there were plenty of TK spots, but kindergarten was the real concern. Based on everything we had been told, even one person ahead of me could have made all the difference. The principal spoke about the school, and then they began calling people up in groups of five.
When it was finally my turn, I handed over my paperwork, smiled a lot, and hoped politeness still counted for something. They made their copies and told me they would let us know in a few weeks.
On the way out, I passed the Peanuts Gang again and gave a quiet “Good grief” before heading home.
A few weeks later, the email finally came. He got in. We reacted like we’d won the lottery!
Fast forward, now he is at the school and thriving, but I will never forget the emotional train wreck it took just to get him there. Every time I walk past that Peanuts poster now, I smile and laugh a little.
For a moment that felt so stressful at the time, it ended up being a pretty good reminder of something simple:
“Nothing is given. Everything is earned.”
LeBron James
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