Transition to Kindergarten Parent Guides: How Do I Enroll My Child in Kindergarten?

Michigan law allows a child who is five years old by December 1 to sign up for kindergarten.

• Most school districts begin signing children up for kindergarten in early spring for the following fall.
• Contact your local school to find out the exact date.
• Be ready with names, addresses and phone numbers to fill out forms. Also bring contact information about your child’s doctor.
• Check with your local school for what information they want you to bring.
• If you do not have all of the forms they want, you should still sign up your child for kindergarten. The staff can help you get any missing forms.
• When you sign up, let the school know if your child gets other services, such as speech therapy.

Here are some common papers you will need to sign your child up for kindergarten.

• Proof of your child's age and identity (birth certificate) is required. Other proof of birth may be accepted (passport, hospital birth record, adoption record or baptismal certificate, etc.).
• Proof of where you live (driver's license, voter registration card, utility bill, rent statement, income tax return statement, or any official document showing both your name and address).
• Records of vaccination and immunization. You may contact your school to apply for a waiver, which is an exemption from vaccinations for religious or medical reasons. The website for current immunizations is: www.mcir.org.
• Vision and Hearing Tests. Each child needs to have a hearing test and a vision test before starting kindergarten.