West County Mandarin School - feedback

They typically will only accept incoming kindergarteners. You first need to apply to your local/neighborhood public school and then do the intra-district transfer form. Priority goes to underresourced families and siblings, then to people who apply during priority window (month of February). It is open to anyone in the WCCUSD but no guarantee of admission. During the info session they said last year 90% of applicants got in, but it varies year to year. I'm hoping my incoming kindergartener will attend so no specific experience but the info session was wonderful. Of note, they will be in the portable classrooms next year on Moeser near the El Cerrito Community Center since they have outgrown their current location. More info on their site and I bet they'd be happy to answer questions: https://wcmspta.org/

You should attend one of the enrollment info sessions https://wcmspta.org/tours/

There has been a recent development in the location of West County Mandarin School. The WCCUSD school board supported moving the school to Pinole on the Pinole Middle School campus beginning the 2021-2022 school year. This will be the school's permanent location. The school will be in its own enclosed area of the campus, separate from the middle school, with its own building and entrance. For more information, please contact the school office: 510-307-4523 or westcountymandarin [at] wccusd.net (westcountymandarin[at]wccusd[dot]net).

I have a kindergartener and a 3rd grader at West County Mandarin School. Our family loves WCMS because the school community is very close-knit, diverse, and values kindness. Academics are rigorous, and the PTA is one of the most active in the district. There is a long list of enrichment programs that the PTA supports through grants and donations. If you are planning to enter Kindergarten through 4th grade for the 2021-2022 school year, the process is as follows: 1) Register your child for enrollment at your neighborhood elementary school https://www.wccusd.net/domain/25942) The month of February is the priority enrollment period. Complete and submit an intra-district transfer request form for priority enrollment. (Don't wait until after February because the chances go down significantly that you will be accepted.) https://www.wccusd.net/Page/117003) Wait to hear if your request has been approved (usually in the month of May).  Your chances of getting into the school depend on the grade you are trying to apply for. Spaces in grades after kindergarten depend on the number of students that leave the school; however, the school has a low rate of attrition. Students within WCCUSD get priority enrollment over anyone out of district. 50% of the seats are held for low-income/English language learners/foster youth. Applicants with a sibling currently attending the school also have priority. No prior knowledge of Mandarin is necessary, and there is no preference given to children with prior Mandarin experience. If there are more applicants than available spaces, the school uses a lottery to select students. WCMS will have grades K-4 for the 2021-2022 school year, adding one additional grade per year to become a K-8 program. If you have not attended a virtual enrollment information session, I'd highly encourage you to sign up here: https://wcmspta.org/tours. There's a lot of good information on the school website: https://wcmspta.org. You can also call (510-307-4523) or email (westcountymandarin [at] wccusd.net) the school office to get more information that way. I hope that helps!