Early Entrance to Kindergarten and First Grade

There is no Early Entrance into 4-Year-Old Kindergarten. No exceptions. All students must be 4 years of age on or before September 1 in the year they seek admission to be eligible for enrollment in 4K.

Students who are not  five years of age as of September 1 may be considered for early entrance into 5K if any of the following are true:

• The student completed a formal four-year-old kindergarten program. This program must be a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) recognized public, private, or parochial program, with a Kindergarten DPI licensed teacher, and a 4K-5th grade or 4K-8th grade continuum of curricula. Formal records must be able to be obtained. Applications that indicate a child was 3 years old in a mixed age classroom does not qualify as completing a formal 4K program. 
• The student was previously enrolled in five-year-old kindergarten in another public school district prior to moving into the MMSD. Applicants must provide verification of enrollment and actual attendance (if applicable) in five-year-old kindergarten.
• The student will turn five years old between September 1 and October 15.  Applicants must submit verification of the student’s birth date. Applications that indicate a child’s birth date is after October 15 will automatically be denied. There are no exceptions to this cut-off date.  
  • Parents/guardians seeking consideration of early entrance into 5-year-old kindergarten for their student should first read Early Entrance Considerations for Parents.
  • Parents/guardians may request MMSD conduct further assessment of their student to assist in determining kindergarten preparedness. The request for additional assessment is part of completing the early entrance application for 5-year-old kindergarten. Parents should follow recommendations of the results of this assessment.

If any of the above conditions are true, complete the application for 5-year-old kindergarten.

Assessment for Early Entrance to Kindergarten OPTIONAL AND ONLY for students with a birthday between September 1 and October 15

Optional assessment can be conducted with children who meet the criteria of turning five years old on or between September 1 and October 15 only if families would like to gather additional information about their child. It would be considered best practice for parents to follow the recommendations of the results of this assessment.

1. Requests for assessment received by May 15 will be performed by the school psychologist in the student’s attendance area school.
2. Requests for assessment received between May 16 and August 1 will be performed over the summer. Parents/guardians will be contacted over the summer to schedule an appointment with a district school psychologist. No assessments are conducted when school is not in session except through this process.

Students who become six years of age after  September 1 in the year they seek admission to first grade may be considered for early entrance into First Grade if any of the following are true:

• The student attended and successfully completed a 5-year-old kindergarten program in a public school, private school, or licensed child care center that MMSD deems equivalent to a public school five-year-old kindergarten program. Applicants must provide verification of enrollment in a 5-year-old kindergarten program and an end-of-the-year report card from the previous school showing successful completion. 
• The student was previously enrolled in first grade in another public school prior to moving to MMSD. Applicants must provide verification of enrollment and actual attendance (if applicable) in first grade.

A student who meets the age requirement for entrance into first grade, but has not successfully completed five-year-old kindergarten, may enroll in first grade if the student meets any of the following requirements: 

• The student moved from another state, country, or territory where there is not a prerequisite to complete a five-year-old kindergarten. Applicants must provide verification of residence in the former state - a utility bill, or copy of lease or mortgage.
• The student was exempted from a five-year-old kindergarten program from another state, country, or territory. Applicants must provide official documentation of the exemption.
• Students who demonstrate satisfactory completion of a preliminary student assessment using a standardized assessment administered by a school psychologist. Parents should follow recommendations of the results of this assessment if requested.

If any of the above conditions are true,  complete the application for early entrance into first grade.

Assessment for Early Entrance into First Grade (Optional)

Optional assessment shall be at no cost to parents and can be conducted with students who are 6 years of age on or before Sept 1 but who have not completed 5-year-old kindergarten.  

1. Requests for assessment received by May 15 will be performed by the school psychologist in the student’s attendance area school.
2. Requests for assessment received between May 16 and August 1 will be performed over the summer. Parents/guardians will be contacted over the summer to schedule an appointment with a district school psychologist.
3. After the assessment has been completed, a conference shall be held with the parents/guardians to consider the appropriateness of early entrance without completing five-year-old kindergarten into first grade.
4. The SUPERINTENDENT or his/her designee has the final authority for deciding whether or not the child is to be admitted to first grade if they did not complete a five-year-old kindergarten program.

Parents/guardians who are submitting an application that includes documentation for the completion of 4K or 5K from another country must ensure the information provided shows clear and direct evidence of meeting the requirements as stated above. If it is not possible to determine that the 4K or 5K completion requirement has been fulfilled by the information submitted, the application will not be approved. In some cases, the principal of the neighborhood school in which the family submitting the application lives may be involved in making the final decision for grade placement.