Pre-K Lottery 26-27
Page Updated: December 15, 2025
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.
Pre-Kindergarten Programs
Eligibility Requirements
- Residency: Child must live in the City of Chelsea.
- Age: Child must be 3 or 4 years old by August 31, 2026
Lottery Application Process
- From January 5 - 16, 2026, families can sign up for the Pre-Kindergarten Lottery at the Parent Information Center (99 Hawthorne Street).
- Families can sign up anytime from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM on these days.
- Families must bring their child's birth certificate in order to sign up
- The lottery will be held on January 26th
Additional 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.
- Toileting: Child must be toilet trained by the start of school in September of 2026.
Lottery Notification Process
Acceptance letters for children selected for the program will be mailed the week of February 2, 2026. Waitlist letters will also be mailed the week of February 2, 2026.