Parents Camp Out for All Day Kindergarten Classes

By Jacqueline Sit, NEWS 9

MOORE, Oklahoma -- Parents in one of the fastest growing public schools in the state are going to extremes to land their kids a spot in class. In Moore, parents have been camping out since 1 p.m. Saturday to get their children into a full-day kindergarten.

Enrollment for the all-day kindergarten starts Monday morning, and parents are willing to do whatever it takes to score one of the 20 openings at Broadmoore Elementary School.

With tents, cots and campers, the parking lot literally turned into a campground Saturday night. Broadmoore Elementary School is not the only campus where families are camping out.

"I'd like the full day, but there's half day alternative. And we'd still have to pay out of pocket for daycare outside of the half day kindergarten. Ideally, I'm trying to get the full day. That's why I'm here on a Saturday night," parent Matthew Wells said.

"Sometimes this doesn't seem fathomable, but here we are in a country where you feel like your public school dollars are going to work, but you're still having to wait outside for two days. I've never heard of such things," parent Derek Brunner said.

Moore Public Schools Superintendent Debbie Arato said voters passed a bond that will help open two new elementary schools. She said that will greatly help alleviate the overcrowding problem.

Those schools are slated to open in the fall of 2010, but that's too late for the parents who camped out over the weekend.