Enrollment Lottery Stirs Joy, Dismay : Education: Too many applicants, too few openings at desired schools force many to face luck of the draw.

It had all the trappings of the Big Spin, but the prize wasn’t money. It was a chance to attend Hale Middle School in Woodland Hills.

About 50 parents waited nervously in the school’s auditorium Tuesday morning to find out whether their children were among the 75 lucky ones to enroll at Hale. Under the new state-ordered open enrollment policy, parents could choose schools as long as space was available and ethnic balances remained intact.

For schools like Hale, particularly in the west San Fernando Valley but scattered throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District as well, too many applications and not enough space meant lottery-style drawings Tuesday. Students’ names were drawn from boxes and cookie jars for the chance to enroll or to be put on waiting lists.

As Hale’s principal, assistant principal, a parent and office manager stood on the stage drawing 173 names for 75 openings, parents sat on the edge of their seats. Some hugged when it was over and others left shaking their heads in frustration.

“Yes!” said Ahmad Hosseini, as his daughter’s name was selected. “Fantastic!” he said, raising his fist in the air and beaming.

Others were not quite as ecstatic. “Lindsay didn’t get in and now I’m annoyed,” said Kay Arzberger, whose daughter was No. 158 on the waiting list.

“My son is going to be so sad,” said a visibly disappointed Linda Glickstein, whose son was No. 163 on the waiting list. “All his friends are in but he’s not.”

Hale Principal Jeannie Leighton, who said the school’s capacity is 2,400 and who expects 2,100 to 2,200 students next year, said that the campus would be too full with more students and that she does not want to take too many students from neighboring middle schools.

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Parents whose children were not selected said they were disappointed that the school did not accept more students, but agreed that they would not want their children to attend the campus if it were too overcrowded.

“It’s probably a delicate decision,” said Joan Singer, whose daughter was not selected. “But it is frustrating.”

Some schools had dozens of parents attend the drawings, others had none. Parents were allowed to apply to as many campuses as they wished.

About 30 parents turned out to watch the lottery at Sherman Oaks Elementary, where 151 students applied for 70 slots.

“When a name was called, the parent would jump up and scream like they’d just won the lottery,” Sherman Oaks Principal Ed Krojansky said. “It makes you feel good that people want to come to this school.”

Several parents whose children were placed on waiting lists said they would seek other kinds of permits. At least half a dozen parents at Hale, for example, said they would try to get child-care permits, meaning that they have baby-sitters close to the campus.

District officials said there is no limit to the number of child-care permits schools can accept--as long as space is available--but that they must be legitimate. “If they can get in on a child-care permit, well and good,” said Joyce Peyton, who oversees the district office coordinating the open enrollment process.

Many of the applications came from students who live nearby but outside of the campuses’ attendance boundaries. Some parents said they wanted their children in schools with better reputations. But few are traveling long distances to attend the schools.

Some, in fact, are moving closer to their homes. Lupe Sonnie, the principal of Lincoln High on the Eastside, said she received 100 applications for 100 openings--many of which were from students who are voluntarily attending schools outside their neighborhoods. “Kids are returning to their community,” she said. “That’s a good sign.”

Although district officials had said they would not keep systemwide tallies of the numbers of students leaving or entering new campuses, board members said they would like to see the total numbers. “I think it’s a real interesting experiment that’s going on,” board member Julie Korenstein said. “I’d like to see some information coming back.”