Burien, WA– Enrollment opens January 21 for students who will start kindergarten next fall. To help prepare more students for success on Day One of kindergarten, Highline is offering a new kindergarten readiness program partially funded by a Race to the Top grant.

Geared for students who haven’t had access to preschool, Highline will offer the programs from March-June in several low-income neighborhoods. Fewer than half of all incoming Highline kindergarten students have access to high-quality preschool programs.

To secure a seat in the kindergarten readiness program, families should register for kindergarten as soon as possible. Only qualified students who enroll early will have access to the programs.

“Highline Public Schools recognizes the importance of early learning in the success of our students,” said Early Learning, P-3 Director Anne Arnold. “We are recommending that families register their incoming kindergarten students as close to January 21 as possible to be admitted to this kindergarten readiness program, and others, which will prepare children for school success."

In addition to the new program, Highline will offer Jump Start to all incoming kindergarten students the week of August 18-23. Jump Start is a week-long instructional program designed to prepare students to make the transition into kindergarten and the K-12 system.

Children who will be five years old on or before August 31, 2014 are eligible to register for kindergarten for 2014-15. To enroll, families should visit their neighborhood school during regular school hours. If families need help identifying their neighborhood school, they can use the WebQuery tool or call 206-631-3003.

When enrolling at their neighborhood schools, it is important for families to bring the following items:
Child’s birth certificate.
Proof of address. This can be a rental agreement, purchase agreement, or utility bill.
Child’s immunization records.
Two emergency contacts, including addresses and phone numbers.