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ARLINGTON -- Parents in the Arlington school district can't sign up their children for transfers in the 2010-11 school year until March 1, but the traditional camping out beforehand has already begun.
Mark and Cyrese Austin started Monday night, adding the sight of a pop-up camper and the hum of a generator to the parking lot of the administration building, 1203 W. Pioneer Parkway.They want their son Cade to get into kindergarten at Butler Elementary. That's where his friends from soccer and T-ball are going, and the campus is rated exemplary. Their home campus, which Cyrese Austin didn't want to talk about by name, isn't as highly rated.Austin got laid off from her job as a financial analyst in October, so "my days are a little freed up," she said. Her husband will have the night shift at the camper, and family and friends have agreed to help out, she said. The Austins also have a toddler and an infant.Arlington students are allowed to transfer between campuses if space is available. Last week, Arlington trustees voted to close 15 campuses to transfers for the 2010-11 school year because they are projected to be full. Administrators hope to release a list of how many spots are available in every grade at each open campus by Feb. 22, said Amy Casas, a district spokeswoman.Transfers pay a $50 fee if they sign up in March. Later, the fee goes to $80.Trustee Gloria Peña said at Thursday's school board meeting that she would like to look at changing to a lottery system. She questioned the fairness to parents who don't have time to camp out and whether the process is requiring too much staff attention. Staff members have had to let campers in the administration building when extreme weather threatened.Last year, they had to ask some campers to put out campfires, officials said.As first in line, the Austins will keep a list of other parents and when they arrive. Last year's first family in -- also in line for Butler -- loaned the Austins the pop-up camper and told them what to expect."They sat me down and gave me all the do's and the don'ts and the ins and the outs," Cyrese Austin said.TRACI SHURLEY, 817-390-7641
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