Parents living in the Dearborn School District with students planning to start kindergarten in the fall are invited to Kindergarten Roundups at their local elementary school. Parents and guardians can also start enrolling now through the district website at www.dearbornschools.org/enroll.
Each of the district’s 21 schools with elementary students is planning to hold a roundup in March or April. With current conditions, most schools are planning virtual events, either live via Zoom or recorded and posted on their website. Kindergarten Roundups provide parents of our future kindergarteners with important information about starting school, the special kindergarten schedule, required student assessments and helping prepare your child for class. Enrolling students in the spring, if possible, also allows the district to have accurate information to make staffing decisions for the fall.
There are many reasons for parents to choose Dearborn Public Schools. Dearborn Schools is proud to offer one of the lowest teacher-to-student ratios of any district in Wayne County, with an average classroom size of 22 students in kindergarten through second grade and 23 for third through fifth. Dearborn students show above average academic growth each year as measured on national tests, and the district maintains a 95 percent high school graduation rate and has been recognized for the high number of students who enroll in college.
To enroll in kindergarten, students must be five years old by September 1 and live within the Dearborn Public School District. Waivers are available for students who will turn five after September 1 but before December 1. For parents already living in the district, the waivers need to be submitted by June 1. See the district website at https://dearbornschools.org/enroll for the waiver and more information.
Dearborn Public Schools also offers a free Young Fives program for students who will turn five between June 15 and December 1 this year. That all-day program is offered at select schools and follows the kindergarten curriculum. The extra year allows those children to better develop the academic and emotional skills they need to succeed in school. The following year they would enroll in kindergarten at their neighborhood school.
Space is limited for Young Fives, so interested parents should check for availability at the school they are interested in attending. Young Fives is held at DuVall, Henry Ford, William Ford, Geer Park, Haigh, Lindbergh, Maples, McCollough, Oakman, River Oaks, Salina, Snow, and Whitmore-Bolles elementary schools. For more information, contact Student Services at (313) 827-3005. Busing is available only if the student will attend their home elementary and lives in an area where busing is provided. In most cases, parents will need to provide transportation for their child.
Kindergarten parents should also be aware that Dearborn Schools this year will again use a special schedule for those students. Kindergarteners will have a soft start, meaning half days of school for the first week of class from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2. There will also be two or three additional kindergarten-only days off school next year to allow for additional professional development for kindergarten teachers. Those dates have not yet been finalized.
Parents now have the option of completing student enrollment entirely online. Enrollment can be started at https://dearbornschools.org/enroll, but will not be complete until some required paperwork is submitted. To see which school your child would attend, visit our elementary school enrollment map or call Student Services at (313) 943-3005. Kindergarten students are expected to attend the school for their neighborhood, unless they opt into Howe School’s Montessori program.
The Kindergarten Roundup schedule is below. Check school websites closer to that building’s event for information on how to participate in live sessions or to see posted presentations. Parents also may contact the elementary school to request more information. For schools who opt for in-person events, parents will be required to properly wear face masks while at school and to complete a COVID screening tool before entering the building.
Kindergarten roundup schedule
- Becker Elementary, 313-827-6950 – March 25, 2-3 p.m., live event via Zoom.
- DuVall Elementary, 313-827-2750 – March 18, 6 p.m. video posted on school website.
- Henry Ford Elementary, 313-827-4700 – March 24, 2:30-3:30 p.m., live virtual meeting.
- William Ford Elementary, 313-827-6400 – March 25, 2-3 p.m., live virtual meeting.
- Geer Park Elementary, 313-827-2300- April 13, 2:45-3:45 p.m., live virtual meeting.
- Haigh Elementary, 313-827-6205 – March 24, 6 p.m., video posted to website.
- Howard Elementary, 313-827-6350 – March 24, 6 p.m., presentation posted to website.
- Howe Elementary, 313-827-7000 – April 26, 5:30-6:30 p.m., possibly in-person event.
- Lindbergh Elementary, 313-827-6300 – March 24, 6 p.m. video posted.
- Long Elementary, 313-827-6100 – April 22, 4 p.m., virtual meeting.
- Lowrey School, 313-827-1800 – April 9, 9:30-10:30 a.m., packet pickup. Virtual presentation will be posted April 8.
- Maples Elementary, 313-827-6450 – April 14, 1-2 p.m., live virtual meeting also will be recorded and posted to the website.
- McCollough Elementary, 313-827-1700 – April 14, 8:30 a.m., virtual meeting.
- McDonald Elementary, 313-827-6700 – March 25, 10-11 a.m., virtual meeting.
- Miller Elementary, 313-827-6850 – April 7, 9 a.m., video presentation will be posted to the website.
- Nowlin Elementary, 313-827-6900 – April 22, 6-7 p.m., presentation posted to website.
- Oakman Elementary – March 18, 1:45 p.m., in the gym following social distancing protocols. Face masks required. Parents who are not feeling well or who may have been exposed to COVID should not attend. See the screening tools.
- River Oaks Elementary, 313-827-6750 – March 25, 2-3 p.m., live virtual meeting.
- Salina Elementary, 313-827-6550 – April 7, 4 p.m., live Zoom meeting. Meeting will be recorded and later posted to the website.
- Snow Elementary, 313-827-6250 – April 14, 4 p.m., video will be posted.
- Whitmore Bolles, 313-827-6800 – April 15, 6 p.m., presentation will be posted.