A young girl paints at school during the winter of 2023. Dearborn Public Schools is holding Kindergarten Roundups from April 15 to May 1 to provide families of incoming students with important information about starting school.
DEARBORN — Parents living in the Dearborn Public Schools 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 enrollment now through the district website at www.dearbornschools.org/enroll.
Each of the district’s 22 schools with elementary students is planning to hold a roundup between April 15 and May 1. Kindergarten Roundups provide parents of our future kindergarteners with important information about starting school, the special kindergarten schedule, required student assessments, and how to help prepare your child for class.
Enrolling students in the spring, if possible, allows the district to have accurate information to make staffing decisions for the fall.
DPS offers 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 24 for third through fifth. Dearborn students show above average academic growth each year as measured on national tests, and the district maintains a 96 percent high school graduation rate and has been recognized for the high number of students who enroll in college.
DPS also has had five schools recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools in the last seven years.
To enroll in kindergarten, students must be 5 years old by Sept. 1 and live within the district boundaries. Waivers are available for students who will turn 5 after Sept. 1 but by Dec. 1. For parents already living in the district, the waivers need to be submitted by June 1. Go to the district website, dearbornschools.org/enroll, for the waiver and more information.
Parents who live in Wayne County and want an online school for their child can enroll in DPS Virtual K-12. That is the only Dearborn public school that takes elementary or middle school students who live outside of the district. Learn more on the Virtual K-12 website.
DPS also offers a free Young 5s program for students who will turn 5 between June 15 and Dec. 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 5s, so interested parents should check for availability at the school they are interested in attending. The district is planning to offer Young 5s at Lindbergh, Maples, Salina and Whitmore-Bolles elementary schools. See the Young 5s brochure.
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.
For students still a year away from kindergarten, the district also offers the Great Start Readiness Program. This state-sponsored preschool is free to families who qualify and is available at 15 locations around the district. Enrollment for GSRP will begin in May.
For next school year, the state is considering expanding GSRP to make the program available to any child who will turn 4 by Sept 1. Parents with a child that age are encouraged to submit an application if they are interested in the program.
Learn more about the district’s programs for its youngest students at www.dearbornschools.org/welcome.
Kindergarten parents should also be aware that DPS this year will again have a soft start for those students, meaning kindergarteners will have half days for the first week of class. This allows students a more successful and gradual transition to school.
The kindergarten-only half days will be Aug. 27 to 29. All students have a half day of school on the first day, Aug. 26. The district will be closed Aug. 30 through Sept. 2 for Labor Day weekend.
Parents have the option of completing student enrollment entirely online. Enrollment can be started at dearbornschools.org/enroll, but will not be complete until required paperwork is submitted. To see which school your child would attend, go to the elementary school enrollment map or call Student Services at 313-827-3005.
Kindergarten students are expected to attend the school for their neighborhood, unless they opt into Howe School’s Montessori-style program or the DPS Virtual K-12 online school.
The Kindergarten Roundup schedule is below. Events are in-person at the school except for Virtual K-12. Check school websites closer to that building’s event for more information. Parents also may contact the elementary school to request more information.
2024 kindergarten roundup schedule
• Becker Elementary, 313-827-6950 – April 16 at 9:15 a.m.
• Dearborn Public Schools Virtual K-12, 313-827-8405 – April 17 at 5 p.m. via Zoom.
• DuVall Elementary, 313-827-2750 – April 15 at 6 p.m.
• Geer Park Elementary, 313-827-2300- April 15 at 2:45 p.m.
• Haigh Elementary, 313-827-6200 – April 16 at 4:30 p.m.
• Henry Ford Elementary, 313-827-4700 – April 18 at 9:15 a.m.
• Howard Elementary, 313-827-6350 – April 22 at 10 a.m.
• Howe Elementary, 313-827-7000 – April 23 at 5 p.m.
• Lindbergh Elementary, 313-827-6300 – April 16 at 6 p.m.
• Long Elementary, 313-827-6100 – April 17 at 6 p.m.
• Lowrey School, 313-827-1800 – May 1 at 9 a.m.
• Maples Elementary, 313-827-6450 – April 17 at 9 a.m.
• McCollough Elementary, 313-827-1700 – April 25 at 9 a.m.
• McDonald Elementary, 313-827-6700 – April 17 at 11:30 a.m.
• Miller Elementary, 313-827-6850 – April 25 at 2 p.m.
• Nowlin Elementary, 313-827-6900 – April 24 at 5:30 p.m.
• Oakman Elementary, 313-827-6500 – April 19 at 9:30 a.m.
• River Oaks Elementary, 313-827-6750 – April 24 at 2:30 p.m.
• Salina Elementary, 313-827-6550 – April 25 at 8:30 a.m.
• Snow Elementary, 313-827-6250 – April 25 at 9:30 a.m.
• Whitmore-Bolles Elementary, 313-827-6800 – April 25 at 3 p.m.
• William Ford Elementary, 313-827-6400 – April 16 at 9:30 a.m.