Students can take their first steps toward earning their Kalamazoo Promise at Kalamazoo Public Schools Kindergarten Orientation on March 8 at all 17 of the district’s elementary schools.
Parents and students can attend either a 9:30 a.m. or 5:30 p.m. session to enroll for the 2023-24 school year and have fun sampling the kindergarten experience with a visit to the library, hands-on activities and question-and- answer sessions.
Orientation is a time to meet teachers, principals, and other school staff; tour buildings; and to complete the enrollment process. Find more information about kindergarten enrollment at www.kalamazoopublicschools.com/kindergarten.
Enrolling is easy.
Families can check their school attendance area using the district’s interactive map and street directory on the district website at www.kalamazoopublicschools.com/maps, which will provide the names of all KPS schools associated with that location.
Incoming students, who will be 5 by Sept. 1, can enroll in kindergarten. Parents also may request kindergarten enrollment waivers for children who will be 5 years old no later than Dec. 1.
Parents need the incoming child’s birth certificate, immunization record, proof of hearing and vision screening — if available — and two proofs of residency (for example, a utility bill, lease agreement, or mortgage agreement). While the enrollment process can begin online starting March 8, families must visit their assigned school to complete the enrollment process by bringing the documents in for review.
This year’s kindergarten students will be members of the Class of 2036! Students who enroll in KPS as kindergarteners, attend all 12 years of school in KPS, and graduate from KPS, while meeting all residency and enrollment requirements, are eligible for The Kalamazoo Promise, a scholarship that covers up to 100 percent of mandatory tuition and fees at most Michigan colleges and universities.
This anonymous gift has awarded more than $180 million in scholarships to more than 7,000 KPS graduates.
March 8 is also the orientation day for the KPS PreKindergarten Early Education Program for students who will turn 4 by Dec. 1. PEEP enrollment info is found at www.kalamazoopublicschools.com/PEEP.
PEEP is open to families that meet state financial eligibility requirements. Applications for PEEP are taken at all schools, but the program operates only in: Arcadia, Edison, Greenwood, Lincoln, Northeastern, Parkwood-Upjohn, Prairie Ridge, Spring Valley, Washington, Winchell, and Woodward elementary schools.
PEEP is part of the state’s Great Start Readiness initiative. The program offers half-day or full- day pre-kindergarten classes with highly trained teachers and two support paraprofessionals per classroom.
Meals are provided, and transportation is provided for students who live more than a mile from the school in their attendance district or for students who attend magnet schools that are outside their attendance district.
Children who need immunizations to complete the kindergarten or PEEP application process can visit the Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Immunization Clinic, 311 E. Alcott St. The walk-in clinic is open 8:30-11 a.m. Monday-Friday, and 1-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Masks are not required to enter the building, but clients are asked to wear masks when in the exam room with KCHCS staff. For more information and to schedule appointments, call KCHCS at (269) 373-5203.
All KPS online enrollment portals for all grade levels open March 8. They can be found at www.
kalamazoopublicschools.com/enrollment. For information on kindergarten enrollment, call (269) 337-0190. For information on PEEP, call 269-337-0095.
