Potrero Kids

Admission

Eligibility

Children must be at least twenty-four months old (2 years) by September 1 of the upcoming school year and not yet enrolled in kindergarten. Priority for admission will be given to children whose siblings attend PK or Daniel Webster Elementary School, and to children of families who reside and/or work in the Eastern Neighborhoods of San Francisco. Please note, even children who are in the highest category of priority are not guaranteed a spot, as admission into Potrero Kids is based upon the number of spots available. For example, if we have 15 spaces available and there are more than 15 PK or DW siblings who have applied for admission on time and are interested in the Fall, we will then fill spots based upon receipt date of the application. Families receiving tuition subsidies must meet the eligibility criteria of the funding source for subsidy. Families shall be enrolled regardless of race, creed, color, disability, sexual orientation, national origin or immigration status.

NOTE: For the 2023-24 school year we currently have all spots filled, but you can always email us to see if spots open up!

Tuition Fees for the 2023-2024 school year (rates for 2024-25 will be set in early 2024) :

Full Time Monthly Tuition
5 days a week, including food program

4 years old $2375
(Four year olds may be eligible for Preschool for All Tuition Credit dependent on PFA funds)
3 years old $2375
2 years old $2675

FAQ

When will Potrero Kids tours for the 2024-2025 admissions season be held?

Our virtual (zoom) tour is set for Tuesday, October 17 at 7pm. The link to sign-up is here.
After the October zoom tour we will also post a link to the recording of that zoom tour so that you can watch it anytime. In the meantime, you can watch last year's tour here.
Peek-in tours to get a quick peek at our PK3 campus will be on October 20 and November 6, sign up here.
Completed applications must be received by January 12, 2024 to be considered for our initial round for the 2024-25 school year, although don't hesitate to inquire about open spots outside of our normal admissions season.

How can I come by in person to see the school?

We schedule quick "peek-in" tours so that families can stop by briefly to get a look at our school in person! Dates will be October 20, 2023 and November 6, 2023, sign up here.

What if I am unable to attend a tour?

Attending any kind of tour does not positively or negatively impact your application status. It's also easy to watch the videos below to take a virtual tour anytime!

How many spots does PK enroll per year?

The number of spots we have on a given year depends on a variety of factors including sibling priority, Eastern Neighborhoodlive/work priority, gender, age, and diversity. Currently, our Potrero Kids at Daniel Webster (PKDW) campus accommodates 38 children, age 4-5. Our PK3 campus accomodates 67 children, ages 2-3. For more information on our admissions process, please see our admissions timeline. If you are no longer interested in the program or if your preference for part time or full time enrollment has changed, please email us at admissions@potrerokids.org so we can note that on your application.

Are there any spaces available for this current year of 2023-24?

We are currently full at the moment. There may be opportunities for enrollment throughout the year. Once you complete an application you are automatically added to our waitpool. If a spot opens up throughout the year, we contact families from the waitpool on an individual, as needed basis.

Admission Procedures

Preliminary application:

Families can only apply during the admissions cycle for the upcoming school year. If you have a child too young for the upcoming year, just email us at admissions@potrerokids.org to express your interest for a future admissions cycle! A non-refundable, non-transferable registration fee of $60 is due with the completed application. Completed applications will be received through our web portal. Our PKDW campus serves our older children ages 4-5. Our PK3 campus serves our younger children ages 2-3. Families will be notified by email of receipt of their application. Applications are considered active in our waitpool until the child reaches Kindergarten age or the family asks to be removed from our waitpool.

Families who wish to apply for tuition assistance should contact our admissions coordinator at admissions@potrerokids.org or 415-550-3300. There is no application fee due for qualified low-income applicants. Low-income status will be ascertained through a screening procedure and families will be entered into Children's Council's database, SF3C.

Admissions Timeline:

Tours: October 17 7pm zoom tour here, followed by peek-in tours here on October 20 and November 6.
Application due date: January 12th, 2024
Interest Survey: Mid January, 2024
Financial Aid Application Due: January 25th, 2024
2023 Tax Return Due (for tuition assistance): February 15th, 2024
Playdates: February 2024
Acceptance: March 5th, 2024

	Full Time Monthly Tuition 5 days a week, including food program
4 years old	$2375 (Four year olds may be eligible for Preschool for All Tuition Credit dependent on PFA funds)
3 years old	$2375
2 years old	$2675

PHASE 1: GROUP INTERVIEW

PHASE 2: OFFER LETTERS

ACCEPTANCE AND DEPOSIT

In January, we will send an interest email to all families who have applied by January 12. Families must respond to the interest email to be considered for the upcoming school year. Due to demand, we cannot interview all families who respond to the interest email. We will then invite families to participate in group interviews (generally children play with PK teachers and fellow applicants, while parents speak with directors). These are scheduled for late January/early February. Typically interviewed families will have a priority factor such as having a guardian who lives and/or works within the Eastern neighborhoods. However, invitations to our group interviews are limited by the total number of spaces we are looking to fill in the coming school year. This means that we are not always able to interview all families who have a high priority factor.

We strive to maintain age and gender balances so we look for a mix of boys and girls across a range of ages to fill the available slots.

Offer letters are sent via email in early March. Spots are accepted by placing a deposit (see below) and returning the initial paperwork within a week. Families who are accepted into the program who have not taken a tour have the option to tour before making their enrollment decision. Remaining spots, due to declined offers, will be filled by families that are active in our waitpool. Potrero Kids determines placement at our PKDW or PK3 site based upon many factors such as age, gender balance and diversity. Accepted families are notified which site their child will be placed at in late summer.

Once notified of acceptance, families must provide a non-refundable $150 registration fee plus one month tuition, as well as a signed Admissions and Fees and Fines Agreements and all necessary enrollment paperwork within a week to secure the child’s spot. If the child is not enrolled, the deposit is not refundable.

Videos

To Apply :

Please submit a completed application through our web portal. If you submit a completed application via email, please separately mail a $60 check made payable to Potrero Kids to the address below. If submitting by US Mail or in person, please attach a check to your paper application.

Potrero Kids
810 Illinois Street
San Francisco, CA 94107

If your family is low income and you are applying for tuition assistance, please email us at admissions@potrerokids.org or call 415-550-3300 for more information.

Application fees are non-refundable.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend a fall/winter tour as most pre-application questions will be answered on the tour. If questions remain after taking a tour, please email admissions@potrerokids.org or call 415-550-3300.