Enrollment Options
Pando serves children ages 3- to 5-years-old in our 2 NM PreK classrooms.
Children over 3-years-old by Sept 1
M-F, NM PreK Hours, 8am-3:30pm FREE
M-F, NM PreK + All Pando Hours, 7:00am - 5:00pm FREE
In addition to serving NM PreK-eligible children, we have a very limited number of spots available for children who do not meet this age requirement. These spots are reserved for families of high need, or siblings of currently enrolled students who are months shy of qualifying for an NM PreK spot. We accept child care assistance contracts and private pay tuition.
Enrollment FAQ
Q: How do I join the waitlist?
A: Please complete the form above. Once that form is submitted, you have been placed on our waitlist.
Q: When should I join the waitlist?
A: Now. Our waitlist can become quite long at times. Families who join early increase their chance of being offered a spot.
Q: How do you decide who to enroll?
A: We refer to the below priorities when making enrollment decisions:
1) Child of presently or previously enrolled families.
2) Proximity to Pando
3) Need (financial, cultural, or special rights)
4) Time on waitlist.
Q: How do you process waitlist applications?
A: Applications are accepted from all families, without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, cultural history, political beliefs, marital status, or disability. To eliminate as much bias as possible from the enrollment process, we review the criteria listed above and assign a numerical score to each application. Offers are made to applicant with the highest score at the time an opening becomes available.
Q: How do you determine “need”?
A: Pando’s small size and low teacher-to-student ratios make us uniquely positioned to serve families facing challenging circumstances which include - but are not limited to - homelessness, recent familial trauma, medical fragility, financial precarity, identified or anticipated diagnoses, expulsion from other preschools, joblessness owed to an inability to find free child care, or linguistic marginality. A strong preference for enrolling one’s children in a preschool with one’s friends or family does not constitute “need” as we defined it in our enrollment process.
Q: How long is the waitlist and where am I on it?
A: The length of our waitlist varies. We typically enroll 6 to 10 new students every year. Though we could tell you your exact number on the waitlist, it may not accurately represent your likelihood of enrollment given our enrollment priorities.
Q: When will a spot be available?
A: In general, spaces become available at Pando when current students move onto Kindergarten over the course of the summer. We begin extending offers to families on our waitlist in spring. Occasionally, openings become available mid-year.