DeKalb County School District headquarters in Stone Mountain. (AJC FILE PHOTO)
By Wilborn P. Nobles III
Parents of young students have until March 8 to enroll their child into the DeKalb County School District’s pre-kindergarten programs.
The district is offering 114 pre-K classes in 75 schools for students between the ages of 2 and 4. Children must turn 4 by Sept. 1, 2021 to be eligible.
DeKalb schools extended its application window for its program due to “vendor technical difficulties.” Parents can either apply for their neighborhood school or one of six feeder preschools that send will later send students on to elementary schools within a family’s neighborhood.
The Georgia State Lottery funds pre-Kindergarten programs statewide. Schools will contact a family if the child is awarded a seat in the process. Families need to submit proof of birth, proof of legal guardianship if the parent’s name is not on the birth certificate, parent proof of identification, and proof of residency.
School staff returned to buildings in early February, but classes in the district have been virtual since last March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The district has not announced when in-person classes will resume.
Due to COVID-19, pre-Kindergarten classes will consist of up to 1.5 hours of virtual learning followed by daily at-home activities provided by the teacher. Students are expected to be in attendance for the full instructional day during the entire school year once schools reopen.
The teacher will provide a 4-week, at-home activities sheet for students that can be completed without using technology. The at-home activities are issued every four weeks during virtual learning and the lessons will cover literacy, math/science, social emotional and movement learning concepts. The teacher will give families a link to lessons that can be accessed from electronic devices.
Parents have to participate in all scheduled parent meetings and conferences at least twice a year and more if necessary. Due to the pandemic, the meetings will occur virtually.
Parents can apply for the program at the school district’s website. Families can find more information online at the district’s website or by emailing the district’s Office of Early Childhood at [email protected].
Read the original story on AJC.com.
