Kindergarten Roundups provide parents of our future kindergarteners with important information about starting school, the special kindergarten schedule, required student assessments, and how to help prepare your child for class. Enrolling students in the spring, if possible, allows the district to have accurate information to make staffing decisions for the fall.
To enroll in kindergarten, students must be five years old by September 1 and live within the Dearborn Public School District. Waivers are available for students who will turn five after September 1 but by December 1. For parents already living in the district, the waivers need to be submitted by June 1. See the district website at https://dearbornschools.org/enroll for the waiver and more information.
Parents who live in Wayne County and want an online school for their child can enroll in Dearborn Public Schools Virtual K-12. That is the only Dearborn Public School that takes elementary or middle school students who live outside of the district. Learn more on the Virtual K-12 website.
Dearborn Public Schools also offers a free Young 5s program for students who will turn five between June 15 and December 1 this year. That all-day program is offered at select schools and follows the kindergarten curriculum. The extra year allows those children to better develop the academic and emotional skills they need to succeed in school. The following year they would enroll in kindergarten at their neighborhood school.
Space is limited for Young 5s, so interested parents should check for availability at the school they are interested in attending. The district is planning to offer Young 5s at Lindbergh, Maples, Salina and Whitmore-Bolles elementary schools. See the Young 5s brochure. (Also available in Arabic.)
For more information, contact Student Services at (313) 827-3005. Busing is available only if the student will attend their home elementary and lives in an area where busing is provided. In most cases, parents will need to provide transportation for their child.
For students still a year away from kindergarten, the district also offers the Great Start Readiness Program. This state-sponsored preschool is free to families who qualify and is available at 15 locations around the district. Enrollment for GSRP will begin in May. For next school year, the state is considering expanding GSRP to make the program available to any child who will turn 4 by Sept 1, 2024. Parents with a child that age are encouraged to submit an application if they are interested in the program.
Learn more about the district’s programs for our youngest students at www.dearbornschools.org/ welcome.
Kindergarten parents should also be aware that Dearborn Schools this year will again have a soft start for those students, meaning kindergarteners will have half days for the first week of class. This allows students a more successful and gradual transition to school. The kindergarten-only half days will be Aug. 27 to 29. All students have a half day of school on the first day, Aug. 26, 2024. The district will be closed Friday, Aug. 30 through Monday, Sept. 2 for Labor Day weekend.
Parents now have the option of completing student enrollment entirely online. Enrollment can be started at https://dearbornschools.org/enroll, but will not be complete until required paperwork is submitted. To see which school your child would attend, visit our elementary school enrollment map or call Student Services at (313) 827-3005. Kindergarten students are expected to attend the school for their neighborhood, unless they opt into Howe School’s Montessori-style program or the Dearborn Public Schools Virtual K-12 online school.
