2026-2027 Pre-K Lottery
Information, dates, and requirements for the upcoming school year's Pre-Kindergarten enrollment.
Lottery Overview
A limited number of seats are available at the John Silber Early Learning Center for the 2026–2027 school year. Chelsea Public Schools will hold a lottery to fill available seats in all pre-school programs.
The lottery will follow a strict and transparent protocol and will be filmed by Chelsea Community Cable. Applications will be randomly drawn to create a list for filling available seats in each pre-kindergarten program. Separate lists will be created for each program. Children not selected will be placed on a waitlist, which will be used if a seat becomes available during the school year.
Eligibility Requirements
- Residency: Child must live in the City of Chelsea.
- Age: Child must be 3 or 4 years old by August 31, 2026.
- Toileting: Child must be toilet trained by the start of school in September of 2026.
Pre-Kindergarten Programs
Morning Session
Days: Monday-Thursday
Times: 8:13 AM - 11:05 AM
No Program Fee
Afternoon Session
Days: Monday-Thursday
Times: 11:45 AM - 2:20 PM
No Program Fee
Extended Day Program
Days: Monday-Friday
Times: 8:13 AM - 5:30 PM
Program Fee: $15 per day, billed monthly*
*A sliding fee scale is available for low income wage earners Requirement: Parents must be working or in school a minimum of 30 hours per week.
*A sliding fee scale is available for low income wage earners Requirement: Parents must be working or in school a minimum of 30 hours per week.
Lottery Application Process
January 5 - 16, 2026
Families can sign up for the Pre-Kindergarten Lottery at the Parent Information Center (99 Hawthorne Street) between 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
Note: Families must bring their child's birth certificate in order to sign up.
January 26, 2026
The official Pre-Kindergarten lottery is held and filmed.
Week of February 2, 2026
Lottery Notification Process: Acceptance letters for children selected for the program will be mailed out. Waitlist letters will also be mailed this week.
Important Information
- Families do not need to enter the lottery if their child currently attends the John Silber Early Learning Center.
- Only one application per child is allowed. Submitting more than one entry will result in removal from the lottery.
- Transportation: No transportation is provided for Pre-K programs.