INTAKE PROCEDURE AND POPULATION SERVED

The Billy Dalwin Pre-School of Temple Emunah begins to accept applications in September for enrollment in the following school year. The Pre-School is open to all residents of Lexington and other area communities. The Billy Dalwin Pre-School of Temple Emunah works cooperatively with the special education department of the Lexington Public Schools and other area schools to include children with special needs. Membership in Temple Emunah is not required; however, priority acceptance is given to re-enrolling students, siblings of children who have already attended the Pre-School, Temple Emunah members, and children with special needs. A detailed description of the enrollment policy follows. Parents inquiring about the school may conference by phone (or in person, if so requested) with the Pre-School Director. Written materials including the school brochure, application form, statement of philosophy, and fee schedule are sent by mail. Parents may make appointments to visit the school beginning in November. Notification of acceptance is sent by the end of February and a $200 non-refundable deposit is required within 30 days of notification to reserve a space for the following September.

PRE-SCHOOL ENROLLMENT POLICY

The Pre-School has an established policy for priority acceptance. Each priority category has a specified closing date. Applications must be returned to the Pre-School by the closing date in order to maintain consideration within the priority category.
Within each priority category, top priority is given to applications for students who were waiting-listed the previous year in their current or higher priority category. In those cases the priority order from the previous year will carry over to the current year. All other applications will be treated equally within each priority category, if received by the indicated closing date. If space is not available for all applications in a given category, a lottery will be conducted (among the applications from such priority category) to randomly select applications for acceptance and to determine wait-list order, placing them below any applicants who were wait-listed the previous year.
Applications for a particular category received after the closing date will fall to the next lower applicable category, whose closing date has not passed. At least one space each year will be reserved until January 1st for children with special needs.

Please note: THE EARLIEST ACCEPTANCE DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS SEPTEMBER 1ST OF THE YEAR PRECEDING ENROLLMENT. Any applications received before September 1 will be returned. Acceptance letters & contracts will be mailed out after January 15.

The priority categories and closing date are in the following decreasing order:

1. Re-enrolling students. Applications must be received by October 15 for priority consideration.
2. Temple Emunah Member with a concurrently enrolled sibling. Applications must be received by October 15 for priority consideration.
3. Non-Emunah member with a concurrently enrolled sibling. Applications must be received by October 15 for priority consideration. (This is to avoid the inconvenience of enrolling preschool aged siblings in two different schools.)
4. Children of Pre-School staff, full-time Temple Emunah staff, or Rabbis of Temple Emunah or Temple Isaiah. Applications must be received by October 15 for priority consideration.
5. Temple Emunah Member with alumni sibling(s). Applications must be received by October 15 for priority consideration
6. Non-Emunah Member with alumni sibling(s). Applications must be received by October 15 for priority consideration.
7. Any Temple Emunah Member who does not fit into a prior category. Applications must be received by November 15 for priority consideration.
8. Any Temple Isaiah Member who does not fit into a prior category. Applications must be
received by November 15 for priority consideration.
9. Non-member of Temple Emunah or Temple Isaiah who is affiliated with any other local Jewish congregation. Applications must be received by November 15 for priority consideration.

*Any remaining spaces, once all students in priority categories are accepted, will be filled with students who do not fit into any prior categories. They will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Temple Emunah Members are granted priority status as listed above; however, membership does not guarantee enrollment. Applicant family must be a Temple Emunah Member in good standing by September 1 to be considered in priority categories 2, 5, or 7 above. Applicant family must be a Temple Isaiah Member in good standing by September 1 to be considered in priority category 8 above. Enrollment, among all priority categories, is accepted on a space-available basis. For more information, please call Shelley at the Pre-School Office at (781) 861-0708.