Georgia’s largest school districts are looking to add more resources as hundreds of families wait for coveted seats.
Pre-K teacher Ashley Wilson teaches a lesson on vocabulary words at the DeKalb Early Learning Center on April 1, 2026, in Atlanta. Metro Atlanta school systems are all interested in adding more classes, even as K-12 enrollment trends downward. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
In some of the largest school systems in Georgia, hundreds of families are waiting for coveted seats to open up in pre-kindergarten classrooms.
Kasey Kahn’s family was one of those last year, when they waited for a spot for their daughter, Charlie, to attend pre-K at Virginia Highland Elementary in Atlanta Public Schools. They were No. 12 on the waitlist and had already enrolled her in a private school for the year.
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Experts: Early ed equals better outcomes
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Cassandra Boatwright helps pre-K students at the DeKalb Early Learning Center on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Atlanta. The DeKalb County School District is considering adding more early learning centers. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
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Often, waitlists have to do less with available capacity in an area but with high interest in a particular school or program, Mindy Binderman says. (Courtesy)
More national interest
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The wait for more classrooms
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Shirlene Hill works with students at the DeKalb Early Learning Center on April 1, 2026. The DeKalb County School District is Georgia’s third-largest school system, but its largest pre-K provider. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
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Cassidy Alexander covers Georgia education issues for the AJC. She previously covered education for The Daytona Beach News-Journal, and was named Florida’s Outstanding New Journalist of the Year.
