Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten Enrollment Process for the 2023/24 School Year

INFORMATION ABOUT KINDERGARTEN AND JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN ELIGIBILITY:

To be eligible for Kindergarten, students must be 5 on or before September 1, 2023.
Students turning 5 between September 2 and December 1, 2023, may enroll with a signed waiver in either Junior Kindergarten or Kindergarten .
Students who turn 5 after December 1, 2023, are NOT eligible for Kindergarten or Junior Kindergarten for the 2023-24 school year. Students in this group may be eligible for the Great Start Readiness free preschool program coordinated by the district’s Early Childhood Center, depending on your family’s income. Children in this age group can enroll in the tuition preschool programs at the Early Childhood Center as well. Call the Early Childhood Center at 248-573-8330 or visit their page on the district website for additional information.

Junior Kindergarten is a free, optional first year of school designed for students who turn five between September 2 and December 1 of 2023 (students who would only qualify for kindergarten using a waiver). Students who attend Junior Kindergarten go on to attend a full year of traditional Kindergarten the following school year. When space permits, students who turn five between June 1, 2023, and September 1, 2023, may be considered for the Junior Kindergarten program and there is often room within a few of the JK classrooms for these students with late-summer birthdays. For additional information about Junior Kindergarten please view this video.

The Junior Kindergarten enrollment window for the 2023/24 school year will be from January 26th - February 17th at 4:00 PM. After this deadline, families can request to be added to a waitlist. Parents that are interested in enrolling their child in Junior Kindergarten are required to fill out an additional JK registration form, which is included the K/JK enrollment packet. Only completed enrollments will be considered for the Junior Kindergarten program.

Enrollment forms for next year’s Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten are available on the district’s main enrollment website (link below).

Families will need to gather the following paperwork in order to complete the enrollment process:

1. Identification– Photo I.D., such as a driver’s license, state I.D., or passport of the parent/guardian.

2. Proof of Residency – Three current proofs; one from Column I and two from Column II (see below), in the name and address of the parent/guardian. If your statements/bills are received online, the most recent statement/bill must be printed and a copy provided.

Column I - one (1) required

Mortgage Document

Property Tax Statement - (most recent)

Closing Papers—Accepted only if you’ve moved into your house within the past 30 days. Signed by all parties with the closing date indicated.

Lease – Apartment/Home Rental—All tenants' and occupants' names, including lease beginning/ending dates, must be on the lease. Lease must be signed by both landlord and tenant.

Column II - two (2) required

Utility Bill – Gas, electric, phone, etc.

Vehicle insurance document

Homeowners/renters insurance document

Bank Statement

Cable TV Bill

Credit Card Statement

Medical bill or health insurance statement

3. Certificate of Birth - A parent/guardian who seeks to enroll a child in the School District shall provide a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate.
If a birth certificate is not available, the parent/guardian must complete the birth certificate affidavit form and submit the documentary evidence called for therein. If such verification is not received within thirty (30) days of enrollment or the document appears to be inaccurate or suspicious, the principal shall notify the local law enforcement agency that the student may be a missing child. (Michigan Missing Children’s Act, MCL380.1135.)

4. Immunization Records - In order for a child to attend school, the Michigan Public Health code requires a parent/guardian to provide one of the following:

1. A valid, current immunization record
2. A medical doctor’s (MD/DO) signed State of Michigan Medical Contraindication Form
3. A current, certified State of Michigan Nonmedical Immunization Waiver Form issued by the local health department. For more information, go to www.oakgov.com/health or contact Nurse on Call (NOC) at 1-800-848-5533.

A valid, signed FERPA consent form should also be provided (in the enrollment packet).

Up-to-date immunization records are required by law for all students. Any student whose parent/guardian fails to submit the required immunization information shall not be admitted into the school.

5. Vision Screening (kindergarten/junior kindergarten only) - Proof of a vision screening is required before the start of kindergarten/junior kindergarten. Please note, vision screenings are required to begin Kindergarten but are often completed by families in the summer months leading up to Kindergarten. Immunization records are updated as your child has his or her well check visits at your pediatrician’s office. If you do not have those documents ready at this time, both can be turned in at a later date but must be provided before the first day of school. All other required documents must be provided at the time of enrollment.

6. New for 23/24 - Optional Dental Screening - The state has informed us that beginning with the 2023-24 school year there will be a new recommendation for proof of a dental screening before the start of kindergarten/junior kindergarten. This information is not required in order for an enrollment packet to be considered complete; however if you have proof of a dental screening, it may be submitted.

7. Guardianship (If applicable) -If someone other than the parent is enrolling the student, legal guardianship documentation, obtained from the Probate Court, is required at the time of enrollment.

-If custody has been established by the courts, a copy of the court order must be submitted.
-Step parents must provide a copy of the marriage certificate.

Click here to go to the Enrollment Forms page