Early Kindergarten Admission

Guidelines for Early K Entry

Any child who turns 5 on or before August 1 can enroll in full-day kindergarten. Children must enroll in kindergarten by the time they are 6, since under Kentucky state law, all children must be enrolled in school between the ages of 6 and 18.

Children who have mastered kindergarten benchmarks before age 5, and who turn 5 years old between August 2 and October 1, may be eligible for early admission to kindergarten. The deadline to submit the Early Admission to Kindergarten application is May 1. After the May 1 deadline, there will not be any opportunities to petition the district for Early Admission to Kindergarten for the 2023-24 school year. 

Criteria for Early Admission 

• Child must be a resident of Madison County, Kentucky
• Child must turn 5 between August 2 and October 1 of the admission year
• Child must score at the 95 percentile or higher of the earliest age required to attend kindergarten under compulsory attendance laws on the District approved screener.

Early Admission to Kindergarten Petition Process 

• Parent/guardian will complete and submit the online application between January 1 and May 1 for the upcoming school year.
• Application will be reviewed by the MCPS Chief Academic Officer and Director of Categorical Services (or Superintendent’s designee)
• Once an application is approved, the parent/guardian will be notified of the screening date and time
• Parents will be notified of their child’s screening results within two weeks of the screening
• The decision based on screening results is final. If a child does not meet the criteria there will be no opportunities to rescreen.

STUDENTS    09.121
Entrance Age

PRESCHOOL
In accordance with appropriate state and federal legal requirements, any child who has been identified as disabled, and who is three (3) or four (4) years of age, by August 1 of the current year, shall be eligible for a free and appropriate preschool education and related services.
Children at risk of educational failure who are four (4) by August 1 may enter preschool. All other four (4) year old children shall be served to the extent placements are available.

PRIMARY SCHOOL
A child who is five (5) or who may become five (5) years of age by August 1 may enter primary school and may advance through the primary program without regard to age in accordance with KRS 158.031. A child who is six (6) years of age, or who may become six (6) years of age by August 1, shall attend public school or qualify for an exemption as provided by KRS 159.030.
The District shall establish guidelines to determine a student’s level of academic and social skills when that student is being considered for advancement through the primary program.3 A student who is at least five (5) years of age, but less than six (6) years of age, may be enrolled in the second level of the primary program in keeping with the process set out in Kentucky Administrative Regulation.

PETITION PROCESS
Parents/guardians may petition the Board to allow their child to enter school earlier than permitted under statutory age requirements. On receipt of a petition, the District shall conduct an evaluation process to help determine a student’s readiness to engage in and benefit from early entry to school. The process shall be established in accordance with the following:
1.    The District shall establish guidelines to determine a student's readiness for entry, including the date by which petitions must be submitted to Central Office.
2.    Requests must be submitted by May 1 for the following school year.
3.    The school that is being requested must not be at or above the cap size.
4.    The child scores at the 95th percentile on District approved screener for reading and mathematics.
5.    The parent/guardian pays full SEEK funding for the child
6.    Based on staff recommendations, the Superintendent shall recommend to the Board whether to grant the request.
Any tuition amounts charged to students permitted early entry under this Policy shall be the same as that charged to other tuition paying students who meet statutory age requirements.

PROOF OF AGE
Upon enrollment for the first time in any elementary or secondary school, a student or student's parent shall provide:
•    A certified copy of the student's birth certificate, or
•    Other reliable proof of the student’s identity and age with an affidavit explaining the inability to produce a copy of the birth certificate.
 
STUDENTS    09.121
Entrance Age
REFERENCES:
1KRS 157.3175
2KRS 158.030
3702 KAR 007:125
4KRS 158.031
5KRS 158.032; KRS 158.035; KRS 214.034
 KRS 158.990; KRS 159.010; KRS 159.030
 702 KAR 001:160; 704 KAR 005:070
 OAG 82 408; OAG 85 55
 P. L. 114-95, (Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015), 20 U.S.C. § 6301 et seq.
 McKinney-Vento Act, 42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.
RELATED POLICIES:
08.22
09.124
09.126 (re requirements/exceptions for students from military families)
Adopted/Amended: 8/11/2022
Order #:         2022-3179