Please review the important points related to the Pre-K and Pre-K3 application process and the lottery drawing for the 2022-2023 school year that will take place on March 22, 2022 for all elementary schools excluding Coralwood. Open enrollment will take place February 8 - March 8, 2022. Students must be four years-old on or before September 1, 2022 to participate in the Pre-K lottery in the DeKalb County School District (DCSD). Students who turn five years-old on or before September 1, 2022 are not eligible to participate in the DCSD Pre-K lottery. The only five-year-old students who are eligible to participate in the DCSD Pre-K lottery are those with a 504 or IEP plan who are placed into a collaborative class by the IEP/504 team when space is available. Students must be three years-old on or before September 1, 2022 to participate in the Pre-K3 lottery in the DeKalb County School District (DCSD).
Pre-K Application for Children of Elementary Employees
Elementary school employees may apply online for their 4-year-old children at the school or center where they are listed on the payroll roster or the DeKalb elementary school that serves the employee’s home address. Employees must upload a certified birth certificate and apply under the same guidelines as any other parent. Proof of residency will be waived if applying at the location of employment. This option is only available to the legal guardian or parent of the 4-year-old.
Reminders
??If the employee's child is selected for participation in the 2022-2023 Pre-K Program, the employee may apply for the child to remain at the school for kindergarten in 2023-2024 by submitting an application to the Office of Student Assignment during second semester next year.
??If the employee’s employment location changes for the 2022-2023 school year, the employee must forfeit the child’s Pre-K slot.
??Participating in the lottery at additional sites beyond the assigned work location or home attendance area school will result in the child being withdrawn from the Pre-K class.
??Please be aware that Bright from the Start’s guidelines prohibit any type of priority or preference being given to employees.
Pre-K Application for Children of Middle and High School Employees
DeKalb school employees who are not assigned to work at an elementary school or center with a lottery-funded Pre-K program have the following two options for participation in the Pre-K lottery for the 2022-2023 school year:
1. Register the age eligible, 4-year-old in the elementary school that serves the employee’s home address within DeKalb County. Employees must apply under the same guidelines as any other parent. Bright from the Start’s guidelines prohibit any type of priority or preference being given to employees. Participating in the lottery at additional sites beyond the home attendance area school will result in the child being withdrawn from the Pre-K class for 2022-2023.
2. Employees may apply directly to the Office of Early Childhood Education for participation in Pre-K at a school within the vertical feeder pattern of the school wherein the parent or legal guardian is employed. The attached Middle and High School Application should be completed and sent via courier to the Early Childhood Office at AIC along with a copy of the child’s birth certificate. These applications will be randomly pulled after August 8, 2022 whenever a space is available within the feeder pattern and after the waiting pool for the elementary school is exhausted. Transportation will not be provided by DeKalb County School District. This option is only available for school-based employees.
If the employee's child is selected for participation in the 2022-2023 Pre-K Program, the employee may apply for the child to remain at the school for kindergarten in 2023-2024 by submitting an application to the Office of Student Assignment during second semester next year.
Pre-K Applications for Children of all Non-School based Employees
This option applies to any employee whose payroll is not assigned to an elementary, middle, high school, or center including, but not limited to, AIC, WBBC, Sam Moss Service Center, and East DeKalb Campus. Non-school based employees are only eligible to apply for participation in the Pre-K lottery at the school that serves his or her home address.
If the DeKalb school employee. does not reside in DeKalb County, the employee is eligible to apply to another Pre-K lottery funded program at a private center location or in a public school system that serves the employee’s home address. Other Pre-K programs can be located by using the Bright from the Start Pre-K locator found at: http://www.decal.ga.gov/ProviderSearch/PreK
Note: An employee’s family members are not permitted to apply to participate in the Pre-K lottery at the employee's assigned school location for employment using an affidavit.