The pressure to be first in line had been building for weeks. Fred Wixson decided early yesterday he couldn't take it anymore.
So he woke up early and headed to his son's elementary school in the Del Ray section of Alexandria.
Joe LaMountain waits in line all day at Mount Vernon Community School to register his daughter for a dual-language immersion class.
(Gerald Martineau -- The Washington Post)
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"I woke up; I showered; I ate breakfast; and I came here," said Wixson, 35, whose son, Charlie, 4, stayed at home playing with a treat-filled Easter basket. "I've been here since 7 a.m. . . . It was like a giant game of chicken."
He wasn't alone for long.
Wixson, along with about a dozen other parents, decided to trade in the comforts of home yesterday to save a place in line for their children, who will be kindergartners at Mount Vernon Community School in the fall.
At stake: a coveted spot in the dual-language immersion class.
With quite possibly only eight slots available at the school -- and with registration set to open this morning -- parents said they didn't want to risk missing out. They were going to make it an all-nighter.
The parents started gathering early yesterday, bundled up in jackets, sweat shirts and blankets. Sitting on folding chairs, some watched the drama of March Madness unfold on a television set up under a canopy near the school's front door.
Others sat in small circles, eating snacks or chatting away the overcast day. They kept a sign-up sheet to determine their order in line.
"We have about a dozen parents sitting out here like it's a rock program," said Joe LaMountain, 37, who waited in line all day to ensure that his daughter, Mein, 5, had a spot in the class. "It's something. It's like a Grateful Dead concert without the drugs and alcohol."
Although some might think these parents have gone to extremes, they said waiting in line through the night was nothing compared with the lifelong benefits their children will receive from the program.
Mount Vernon Principal Lilia Lopez, reached at home yesterday, declined to be interviewed about the program.
Parents said the class has an even mix of Spanish- and English-speaking students. The goal is to make the youngsters proficient in both languages.
Because there's limited access to the program and priority is given to students whose siblings have been immersed, only a few slots are available each year. Once a child is accepted as a kindergartner, that student continues in the program with each grade advancement, parents said.
LaMountain and his wife, Mimi Carter, 38, called other parents to make sure they knew about the growing line.
Jennifer Greiner, 37, was celebrating Easter with her family when she heard about the line. Her plan had been to go to church, have dinner at her in-laws' home and then go to the school. But that changed after LaMountain called, she said.
Greiner said she knew the Lord would forgive her for leaving church early so she could a save a place in line for her 4-year-old firstborn, Lila.
"We're all really committed to doing the best for our kids," said Greiner, sitting in front of the school in her Sunday best, including pearls. "I left after the sermon. I did not take Communion."
The mother said she hopes her sacrifice will be rewarded with a space for her daughter next year.
"That's why we are all camping out here tonight," LaMountain said. "These are parents in a community that are really interested in public schools."
