Heather Kotler had camped out for more than two days when she read a letter saying all her work to get her son into the highly coveted pre-k program at Mary Lin Elementary could be for nothing.

She and nearly 30 other families parked campers and RVs across the street from the school in Atlanta's Candler Park. They created a line for Thursday's registration during which officials would fill the 20 openings. Spots are awarded first-come, first-served.

John Spink/AJC (ENLARGE)

Pre-k parent hopefuls, Julia Murray (left) and Nathan Sibly, shout for a lottery Thursday morning.

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Photos Video Atlanta parents camp out for coveted pre-k spots Mary Lin Elementary School website Test scores • 2009 CRCT • 2009 High School Graduation Test • 2008 SAT: School-by-school • List: Students promoted despite failing CRCT Related • Get Schooled blog: When should transfers be allowed? [an error occurred while processing this directive] • Teachers santioned in Georgia   • More about schools   • AJC School Guide Recent headlines: [an error occurred while processing this directive]    • Atlanta and Fulton County news

Then, Wednesday Kotler and others in line received a letter from Superintendent Beverly Hall saying the camp-out queue would not be the official registration line. She wrote parents who camp out violate city ordinances and create an unfair situation for families without the resources to do so.

Hall and other district officials said the Mary Lin crowd was an unusually large crowd this year. Parents agreed, but said the district had no right to change the rules in the middle of the game.

"This is the way it works every year," Kotler said. "Everyone knows that."

The annual camp-out dates back at least four years. Parents privately organize the line, but it has become such a tradition that the PTA raises money for the school by auctioning off items to make the wait more enjoyable. Kotler and her husband paid $200 in a PTA auction to use a camper for the long wait.

Parents said Wednesday evening Atlanta police officers ordered them to move all campers and RVs. Police barricades blocked parents from entering school property until officials were ready Thursday.

In all, 33 people registered. Kotler's son, Brody Weiss, got a seat in the school's pre-k. Not everyone who camped out was as lucky and some were put on a wait list.

"Shame on you!" one parent shouted at school officials. A sign hanging from one car read: "Superintendent Beverly Hall You Should Be Ashamed."

All Georgia 4-year-olds are eligible for pre-k. Registration for the free, lottery-funded classes takes place every spring.

The state lets local program directors decide how to handle registration. Many hold lotteries. Others, such as Atlanta Public Schools, award seats first-come, first-served.

The school district has said parents prefer it that way. Still, the system plans to evaluate the process. School board chairwoman LaChandra Butler Burks said there will be a debriefing within the next couple of weeks.

"It has gotten to be a little, what I consider, unfair," Burks said. "After this week, I think we all realize it is time to review our process."

Burks said it's too soon to say what changes would occur.

Parent Julia Murray said changes are needed. Murray, who works full-time and couldn't afford to camp out, arrived around 6 a.m. Thursday to register her son, who did not get in.

"We all don't have spouses or families or bosses that will help us or let us camp out for days on end for this," Murray said. "They need to come up with a new way to do this. It isn't fair."

The state says all pre-k programs offer the same curriculum, but the Mary Lin hopefuls said the school is different.

It has a strong reputation for high test scores and a diverse student body. Other parents say the campus is in their community and want to go to their neighborhood school. Many also have older children attending the school and said they wanted all their kids at the same campus.