In Minnesota, children are required to be five years old on or before September 1 to enter kindergarten. Minnesota law also provides local school districts some flexibility in determining procedures for early enrollment for children with fall birthdays. In the Minnetonka School District, an early enrollment consideration is available for children with birthdays between September 2 and October 31.

Early Enrollment students are not eligible for the Ready Start Kindergarten (RSK) program.

Early enrollment is an important decision for families to consider. This option is intended for children with fall birthdays who have demonstrated the academic and developmental readiness required to be successful as grade-accelerated students throughout their K–12 education. Because your child’s long-term success is of great importance to us, we encourage thoughtful consideration of both the potential benefits and challenges of the early enrollment option. We look forward to partnering with you to support your child’s educational growth.

Steps for early enrollment

Parents/Guardians, complete and submit the Early Kindergarten Enrollment Application by March 15.
AND

Parents/Guardians share this Early Enrollment Preschool Questionnaire Link with your child’s Preschool Teachers to complete by March 15.

If you are applying for Early Enrollment AND Open Enrollment, you must complete and submit the Open Enrollment Form.

Screening and assessments

A District Psychologist will administer assessments indicating the social/emotional and academic maturity of the child. To be eligible for early enrollment, a child’s assessment results must provide evidence of all three of the following:

• Above average social and emotional maturity
• Ability to satisfactorily meet kindergarten expectations and to subsequently progress to first grade in the following year.
• Superior cognitive ability (I.Q. of 130 or above)

The psychologist will provide a report and recommendations to the Early Enrollment Coordinator for committee review.

Committee decision

• A team of professionals comprised of the Early Enrollment Coordinator, the Coordinator of High Potential Services, the Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, a District kindergarten teacher, a District psychologist, and the principal of the school where the child will attend will make the placement decision for each child.
• The decision of the Committee will be final. The decision will be communicated immediately thereafter to the parents by the Early Enrollment Coordinator, no later than April 30 preceding the anticipated enrollment.
• Copies of the information gathered and the Early Enrollment Committee's decision will be available upon request. Current residents missing the March 15 deadline will be expected to send children at the age appropriate time to kindergarten, unless there are extenuating circumstances.

If you have any questions regarding this procedure and/or early enrollment to kindergarten, please do not hesitate to call your neighborhood school principal or Joy Curran at 952-401-6950.