![bvsd waitinglist open enrollment bvsd waitinglist open enrollment](https://s3.amazonaws.com/lovingchristimages/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/11085043/Join-The-Waiting-List-Square2-300x300.png)
I used to be very against sight words as well, but have learned that it's important for children to know some words just by looking at them as long as the instruction emphasizes phonics as well. This is mainly brought on by "Reading First" and "No child left behind." There is much more emphasis in phonics instruction and districts are leaning away from pure whole language curriculum because the research shows that phonics works. Most public schools do not teach reading by just sight words- the push is for a "Comprehensive literacy program" in which phonemic awareness, phonics (along with some sight words), fluency, vocabulary and comprehension are emphasized. You can do some research on the schools in the area. Charter schools can be wonderful too because they tend to have a little bit more freedom to teach the way they want to. Some charter schools also require some tuition fees, especially if they do not have enough funding from the district to cover all of the expenses. I worked in a school where there was a set of boy-girl fraternal twins and one was in the kindergarten class I was working in and the other was in the class next door- the decision was based on class numbers, but they did fine. It depends on the school whether or not your kids will be in the same class or not- you can try and request it, but it doesn't always happen that way. Most charter schools run on an application or lotto basis and if you move to the district right before or during the school year, most of the spots will have been filled. The problem with getting your kids into a charter school would be the move. Charter schools are still funded by the state/district, they just don't usually get as much money as regular public schools, so they still have to teach to state standards. There are advantages and disadvantages to both public and charter schools. I would never put my kids in a Nampa public school EVER! Avoid Liberty, Victory, and the Liberal Arts school like the plague but there is an awesome Classical Charter that is brand new starting next year. I live in Nampa too and it's worth the drive to Garden City Community School in Garden City. Most charters are small and they will only have one class in each grade. Keep a current address where you want them to go to charte school so you can get the application in this spring and then explain the situation when you get chosen about why they will miss the first few weeks. If you know that you will be moving only a month after school starts, unless they are 6 and have to go to school, I would just leave them out until you move. Most kids won't leave so that leaves little room in subsequent grades especially for two. That being said it is much easier to get into a charter in Kindergarten if it's a good one. If one sibling gets in it is likly the other will but not garunteed. Having one or two won't matter for Kindergarten application. Very few will have space if you wait until school starts but you can always get on the waiting list and hope. Most charters have lottery in early March or April for admission in the fall. Also you should start now if you really want a charter. Check into what they are teaching and the values of the school. Just because a school is charter or has uniforms doesn't really mean much. The first was a Harbor method school, the second an Adlerian school. We moved to a different charter and I can't believe how wonderful it is.
![bvsd waitinglist open enrollment bvsd waitinglist open enrollment](https://surveymonkey-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/survey/120265123/19fb9ae7-ac79-4656-b103-bd1db9e88d18.jpg)
Last year we tried one charter and it was a nightmare. We had a wonderful private school experience and if we'd been able to swing it financially we would do it again but we have also had a really awesome public school opportunity too. It doesn't seem to matter what type of school it is but what the education at each school is like. I have 4 kids, 3 have gone to public school, private school, and 2 different charter schools.