Schools

Some Disapointed, Some Happy As New Hoboken Charter School Fills Its Spots

HoLa, a new dual language charter school in Hoboken, held its first lottery last night for Kindergarten and first grade and filled the waiting lists.

Scattered applause and the sporadic buzzing of Blackberries were the only noises interrupting the quiet drawing of numbers during HoLa's first lottery for kindergarten and first grade last night. 

Parents who entered the lottery, but did not attend the drawing, will get a letter in the mail. 

Roughly 20 parents attended the charter school's lottery on the second floor of the Hoboken Boys and Girls Club on Jefferson Street, the location of the new Spanish immersion charter school. 

Find out what's happening in Hobokenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

With some anticipation, parents waited for their number to get called, and applause erupted whenever one of the parents cheered or let go a sigh of relief. 

"I think it's great," said Christian Gibbs, one of the school's founders and a member of the board. His daughter got in. "She's been here at all the events." Gibbs' wife is from Spain, which means his daughter is already bi-lingual, he said.

Find out what's happening in Hobokenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The school received 198 applications for 132 spots and gives preference to students in Hoboken and siblings.  A child who gets into the school through the lottery automatically pulls in his or her siblings in any other grades. 

Every class has 44 available spots, which will be divided into two classes of 22. Last night's lottery was only for kindergarten and first grade. There weren't more than 44 applicants for second grade.

And while some were happy, others were a bit disappointed. 

Walking out of the room, texting his wife on his Blackberry, Glen Stoffel, 38, said his son got waitlisted. Stoffel's son is number six on the waiting list for first grade. 

Stoffel also attended the lottery on behalf of friends, whose child did get in. Other friends were at the Hoboken Charter School lottery—which was going on at the same time—and where Stoffel is now third on the waiting list. 

Last year Stoffel was number 17 on the Hoboken Charter School's waiting list, but his son never got in. 

"Being a family in Hoboken, we want to have it solid," Stoffel said about his children's education. "It's one of the keys for staying."

Jay Garcia, director of the Hoboken Boys and Girls club (who did not have a child in the lottery) drew the numbers from a blue box with a serious face. 

Among the disappointed parents was also founder and board member Camille Korshun Bustillo. The other founders' children all got into the school.

Although Bustillo's child is on 2nd grade level, she does not live in Hoboken and therefore has to wait until the second lottery. 

Children who do not live in Hoboken have to wait until the second lottery, even though there are 14 open spots in second grade, said Jennifer Hindman Sargent, one of the founders. There is also a seperate waiting list for those children from outside the district. 

Although Stoffel said he hopes his son get in, which assures that his younger daughter will be accepted when she is the appropriate age, that means that he and his wife will have to brush up on their own Spanish. 

"We're going to get some Rosetta Stone going," he said, referring to the popular language learning program.

The school's next lottery will be held on April 2. The school is set to open in September for kindergarten, first and second grade.  


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here