January 3, 2006 > Centralized Enrollment gets high marks

by Rick La Plante

A survey of parents indicates overwhelming satisfaction with the Centralized Enrollment Center opened this fall by the New Haven Unified School District.

In an effort to provide "one-stop shopping'' for families, the District opened the center in August. It provides family enrollment, applications for free and reduced-price lunches, sale of lunch tickets, bus pass and transfer applications, Healthy Family and Migrant Parent enrollment, Special Education placement and a variety of other services.

Of the more than 120 parents who responded to the 15-question survey, 92 percent indicated Centralized Enrollment was either "helpful'' or "very helpful,'' while 4.4 percent indicated it was "somewhat helpful'' and only 3.5 percent indicated it was "not helpful.''

"Obviously we're pleased with the overall results,'' Superintendent Dr. Pat Jaurequi said, "but we also want to know from that 3.5 percent what we can do to make the experience better for them.''

More than 92 percent of respondents said the Centralized Enrollment Center was either "helpful'' or "very helpful'' explaining the enrollment process, scheduling convenient appointments and answering questions about their school site and/or the start of school.

"It used to be that a family with one child in elementary school, one in middle school and one in high school would have to make at least three stops to enroll, and probably more if they needed bus passes or special services,'' Executive Director of Student Services Kathy Moniz said. "Centralized enrollment has made the process much more convenient.'