HCPSS2024-2025 Kindergarten Registration Opens March 4, 2024
February 22nd, 2024
Registration for the 2024-2025 school year begins March 4, 2024. Parents/guardians of children who will be five on or before September 1, 2024, must enroll their children in kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year.
On or after March 4, 2024, parents/guardians can begin the enrollment process online, where you also can upload the required documents. Your child’s school will contact you to schedule a meeting to complete the registration process. During this meeting, you will be asked to verify parental relationships and submit any additional required documentation.
If your child is of age to attend kindergarten but you believe that a delay in school attendance is in your child’s best interest, per Board of Education Policy 9000 Implementation Procedures – Student Enrollment, you may exempt them from mandatory school attendance for one year by completing a Kindergarten Waiver form. Following the one-year waiver, you must register your child for kindergarten. Additionally, if your child already is enrolled but you feel that it is in their best interest to be withdrawn from kindergarten, you may file the Kindergarten Waiver Form to delay kindergarten attendance until the following school year.
Current HCPSS prekindergarten students do not need to be re-registered for kindergarten because they are already enrolled as an HCPSS student.
Complete information on enrollment in Howard County public schools can be found on our Enrollment page.
Parents/guardians enrolling students in kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year should follow these steps:
- Review details regarding the enrollment process
- Use our online school locator to determine what school your child will attend
- Gather required documentation
- Begin the registration process online
- Parents with children already in schools will use their HCPSS Connect login. Directions on resetting passwords or a request for assistance can be found online.
- Parents new to the system will need to create an account. Directions on creating an account and using the online registration can be found on our site.Your child’s school will contact you to schedule a virtual meeting to complete the registration process. During this virtual meeting, you will be asked to verify parental relationships and submit any additional required documentation.
- For eligible families, the online registration process will include the option to register for bus transportation. Eligibility can be verified in the school locator application linked above. After entering your address, a window will appear that will indicate either bus or walk for each school level. Only those addresses that show bus are eligible for transportation service, with the exception of students whose IEP or 504 includes transportation and are eligible regardless of home address. Full details on transportation registration can be found online.
Please view these Frequently Asked Questions for additional enrollment information. Further details about getting ready for kindergarten can be found online.