The conclusion of the ordinary school admission process for the 2026-2027 academic year in Tres Cantos has left a significant number of families without confirmed places for their children in primary schools, secondary schools, or nurseries. The Socialist Municipal Group has voiced its concern over this situation, which affects all educational stages, not just early childhood education as in previous years.
Socialist spokesperson Silvia Lucena expressed her "dismay" that "there are still families who, next year, do not know where their children will go. This is no longer just happening in three-year-old early childhood education, but across all educational levels, with this shortage of places extending to the town's public secondary schools," she stated.
Specifically, the PSOE estimates that 29 secondary school students have been left without a place in public institutes. Lucena criticized the "lack of transparency" in the process, asserting that "family preferences were not taken into account" and questioning the guarantee of access to compulsory education.
“"The situation with places in public secondary schools has been a completely opaque process where family preferences were not considered, leaving no less than 29 students without a place, in an education that, let us remember, is compulsory."
One of the points of contention is the affiliation system linking primary schools with specific secondary schools. Socialists reject the notion that parents should consider this link when choosing a nursery school, arguing that "the school selection period is stressful enough without having to consider factors like this." They also recall that the affiliations for Carmen Hernández Guarch school changed two years ago, rendering this argument invalid.
The socialist spokesperson called for the elimination of these affiliations, citing the case of Aldebarán school, which operates without such a link. Lucena also criticized the mayor, who is also a deputy in the Assembly of Madrid, for "being unable to defend the educational needs of his municipality." "All of this is nothing more than the null importance that the Popular Party, whether in the Community of Madrid or the Tres Cantos City Council, gives to public education," she concluded, vowing to continue denouncing the situation.
For its part, the Tres Cantos City Council has issued a message of "calm" to families. The local government explains that the Madrid Norte Territorial Area Directorate is in the process of matching demand with available places, a standard procedure each year. "All applications will be resolved, and all students will be guaranteed a school place in the municipality's public centers," municipal sources stated.
The council acknowledges that some families may not secure a place at their first-choice private school due to high demand but reiterates that "Tres Cantos' educational system will enroll all students in any of the excellent public schools available in the municipality."
The local government has emphasized the shared nature of school management, involving the City Council, the Community of Madrid, and the educational community. "We work in coordination to ensure an adequate response to each and every one of the schooling needs," the statement concludes, appealing to families' trust as the allocation process concludes.
