How to Enroll

Kindergarteners

  • Kindergarten Registration for the 2018-19 school year is now taking place. Visit your neighborhood school during school hours to register.

    To enroll your child for Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School, visit John Adams or William Ramsay elementary schools.
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  • Visit your school during one of the Kindergarten Open House dates.

    For Pre-Kindergarten/Preschool registration, visit the Early Childhood Opportunities page.

    How to Enroll

    1. Find your attendance zone with the Attendance Zone Locator.

    2. Gather the required documents.

    3. Complete the enrollment forms. Save time and pick up an enrollment packet at your school or complete the forms online (see below). You may also complete the forms when you visit the school to enroll.

    4. Visit your school* to complete your enrollment. Bring the required documents and forms.
      *If a language other than English is spoken in your home, or your child was born outside the United States, register your child for school at the Office of English Learner (EL) Services located on the first floor of ACPS Central Office at 1340 Braddock Place. Please call 703-619-8332 or email ELOffice@acps.k12.va.us for more information.

    Enrollment Forms

    Parents have three options for completing enrollment forms:

    When to Register

    According to Virginia law, your child must be five years old on or before September 30 to register for kindergarten. There is no deadline for registration, but ACPS urges parents to register early. To be admitted, a child must meet all documentation and health requirements. See the registration packet for details.

    Children who will be six years old on or before September 30, must, by law, attend school. Parents of students who are starting school as first-graders should follow kindergarten registration procedures. If you decide not to register your child for kindergarten, you must contact the school system in writing.

    Parents of students transferring to ACPS from other school districts should enroll their children as soon as possible upon moving to Alexandria. Registration dates for transfer students are ongoing.

    Where to Register

    If your child speaks English and was born in the United States, you must register at your assigned neighborhood school, even if your child will attend a different ACPS school. To determine your neighborhood school, visit the online Attendance Zone Locator.

    If a language other than English is spoken in your home, or your child was born outside the United States, register your child for school at the Office of English Learner (EL) Services located on the first floor of ACPS Central Office at 1340 Braddock Place. Please call 703-619-8332 for more information.

    Residency Requirements

    Parents registering their child must provide two documents proving Alexandria City residency.

    Elementary Transfer Requests

    See the Elementary Transfer Requests page.

    Program Transfers

    Currently, there are three options available for families to opt in to by applying for a Program Transfer:

    • Jefferson-Houston School's K-8 Program
    • Dual Language Program at Mount Vernon Community School or John Adams Elementary School
    • Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School's Modified Calendar Program

    Program options are based on capacity at these schools.

    Families can also opt out of Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School and Mount Vernon Community School. Families may not opt out of John Adams Elementary School due to the availability of English language instruction. Families may not opt out of Jefferson-Houston School at K-5, but may opt out of Jefferson-Houston at middle school.

    Families who opt out of Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School or Mount Vernon Community School will be placed in another school based on capacity and proximity to the student's home.

    See the Elementary Transfer Requests page for forms and policies.

    Registration Lottery (If Needed)

    ACPS uses a modified open enrollment policy to maintain small class sizes. If kindergarten classes are over-enrolled at a school by June 15 (or June 1 for Samuel Tucker), all students registered up to that date will be put in a lottery to determine which students will need to be transferred to another ACPS school. If all students enrolling by June 15 can be accommodated in the school, they will be enrolled in that school. Students registering after that date will be transferred to another school if classes are filled. See School Board Regulation JC–R/JCD-R: ACPS Student Placement (PDF). Registration is NOT on a first-come, first-served basis.

    ADA accommodations

    If you need ADA accommodations, please call the Department of Student Services, Alternative Programs and Equity at 703-619-8034.