Assignment: Boston is divided into three geographic assignment zones. Families in each zone have more than 20 elementary schools to choose from, as well as three city-wide elementary schools. (Click here to view a map to find out which zone you are in. There are more than 80 elementary schools in Boston.)

BPS: stands for the Boston Public Schools. Read Transforming the Boston Public Schools to learn about the all the wonderful advancements being made.

"Walk-Zone": For elementary school students, "walk-zone" schools are within a mile of your home. Your Family Resource Center (see below) can tell you which schools are in your walk zone.

Family Resource Centers (FRCs): There is one FRC in each zone.  An FRC can help you choose a school, register for school, address concerns about transportation, or anything you may want to ask before or after your child enters school. (Click here to view a map with the locations of the FRCs.)

"Full-Day" kindergarten: This means a six-hour full school day for kindergarten.

K2 (some people call it "five-year-old kindergarten"): This is when most children enter the Boston Public Schools. Each year, the BPS guarantees a seat in full-school-day K2 to every child in Boston who will be 5 by Sept. 1st. (By state law, not all children are required to attend kindergarten, although it provides a good educational start and BPS urges families to enroll their children for K2. In Massachusetts, if children are 5 on September 1st, but they will turn 6 by December 31st, they are legally required to go to kindergarten that year.)

K1 classrooms (some people call it "four-year-old kindergarten"). There are a limited, but growing, number of seats in the Boston Public Schools for four-year-olds. For example, in the last school year, about 800 K1 seats were available with most reserved for children with special needs. In comparison, there were more than 4600 K2 seats. This September, an additional 500 seats will be added.  If you choose to apply for one of these limited seats, have a back-up childcare arrangement or pre-school plan.

K0 classrooms: These seats are primarily for three-year-old children with special needs, but there are some general education seats in K0 classrooms so that the classes can be integrated. Click here for special needs information.

Early Care and Education: This is the current term many child advocates use, because young children who are in formal programs need both care (support, nurturing) and education (exposure, stimulation). They are talking about programs that start at birth and continue through kindergarten. "Early childhood programs" is another phrase you’ll hear. For help finding the right program (including programs for children with special needs), and for financial aid information, call Childcare Choices of Boston at 542-KIDS.

Early Education Centers (EECs) and Early Learning Centers (ELCs): These popular programs (with long wait lists) offer only K0 or K1 through first grade. They include free before and after school care. BPS has 6 in the city (2 in each zone).

Pilot Schools: These schools are part of the BPS system and have been created for parents, teachers and school administrators to work together to test new education strategies.

Charter Schools: These public schools are NOT part of the BPS system. They are overseen by the State, and started by parents, teachers, non-profit organizations and community leaders. Some start at K1, others at K2. For a list and more info, call the Massachusetts Dept. of Education: 617-727-0075.

METCO: Through this program, minority students from Boston attend school in more than 30 suburban school districts at no cost and with transportation provided. The wait list is long for this program. Call 617-427-1545.

Home Schooling: Some parents prefer to teach their children at home, which is legally allowed, as long as you get approval from the Boston School Committee by calling the BPS Alternative Education Department at 617-635-8035.