Anne Arundel County Public Schools

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   AACPS Home>> Instruction/Curriculum>> Early Childhood Education>> Kindergarten

MORE INFORMATION

 

  • Let's Go to School" A Guide for Parents
    of Pre-K & Kindergarten Students

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Kindergarten

Anne Arundel County Public Schools offer Kindergarten programs in all elementary schools. Children must be five on or before September 1 to be eligible. While Maryland law requires kindergarten attendance, it does give parents the right to delay kindergarten for one year (waiver) or attend other kindergarten programs (alternative kindergarten).
 

Registration Information

  • Children must be five-years-old by September 1 to enroll in kindergarten.

  • Contact your local school for information about office hours. Information about individual school programs is available at http://www.aacps.org/

  •  All kindergarten programs are full-day

You will need to bring the following documents with you when you register your child:

  • Child’s birth certificate

  •  A copy of your child’s immunization record

    • Check immunization requirements at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines

    • Proofs of residency

      • Lease or mortgage document along with one additional document with the same address such as:

        • Current utility or phone bill

        • Income tax of property tax notice

      • A notarized Tenant Verification Form available at school offices


Facts for Age Eligible Students

·       The mandatory kindergarten attendance law for all children who reside in Maryland, which went into effect July 1, 1992, establishes two requirements:

  • The minimum age of compulsory school attendance is lowered to five years of age by September 1 of the current school year.
  • Children are required to attend kindergarten before entering first grade.

Attendance of age eligible children in any of the following nonpublic kindergarten educational programs satisfies the requirements of the mandatory kindergarten attendance law:

  • A kindergarten educational program in a nonpublic school which holds a Certificate of Approval from the Maryland State Board of Education
  • A kindergarten educational program in a licensed child care center which holds a Certificate of Approval from the Maryland State Board of Education
  • A kindergarten educational program in a church-exempt nonpublic school which is registered with the Maryland State Department of Education as exempt from the requirement to hold a Certificate of Approval because the Legal Authority responsible for governing and operating the school is a bonafide church organization.

The mandatory kindergarten attendance regulations permit age eligible kindergarten children who are not attending a public or a nonpublic kindergarten to be enrolled in either an alternative program setting or supervised home instruction.

Alternative Program Setting:

Supervised Home Instruction
Parents/guardians who home school their children must register with their local school system in order to be in compliance with home schooling regulations. Parents of students who attend Alternative Settings must register their child with Anne Arundel County Public Schools prior to the opening of school. Send the letter to the Early Childhood Office, 2644 Riva Road, Annapolis, Maryland 21401.
 

Delay of Kindergarten Enrollment – Maturity WaIver
 

 State Board of Education regulations allow parents/guardians to submit a one- year level of maturity waiver for a kindergarten-age child if the parents believe that a delay in kindergarten attendance is in the best interest of their child. Such a child, however, must attend kindergarten the next year. For more information call 410-222-5441. 


If a parent wishes that kindergarten attendance be deferred for one year due to the child's level of maturity, the parent must do the following:

  • File a completed Kindergarten Waiver Request form with the local Superintendent of Schools before the opening of the school year in which the child becomes five years old.  
  • Register that child in kindergarten the following school year. 
If a parent or guardian feels that it is in the best interests of the child to be withdrawn from kindergarten, the parent or guardian may file a written request to withdraw the child from the program and delay kindergarten attendance until the following school year. 
 

Early Admission

Kindergarten

Anne Arundel County public schools has developed a process for identifying children who possess the advanced academic skills, social and behavioral maturity, and independent care skills necessary for early admission to kindergarten.

  • A parent of guardian may request early admission to kindergarten if their child demonstrates the necessary attributes and will turn five years of age between September 1 and October 15 of the school year for which they are requesting early admission.

  • The application and assessment process is conducted at the elementary school designated for the family’s residence.

  • Applications can be submitted between beginning of the registration period and May 15.

The procedures for requesting early admission to kindergarten are conducted at the child's home school.  The process and guidelines documents are available on AACPS Intranet (search: Early Childhood/Early Admission Forms).