DEARBORN — Although schools are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dearborn Public Schools is enrolling for next school year.
Parents and guardians who have a child who will start DPS in the fall may begin enrollment at www.dearbornschools.org/enroll. Enrolling in the spring, when possible, helps the district ensure it has proper staffing and supplies when the new school year starts Aug. 31.
The district has modified its process to allow families to complete enrollment electronically. Before the closure, parents or guardians needed to visit the district offices or their child’s future school to submit certain paperwork and complete enrollment.
DPS only accepts enrollment from students living in the district, which includes almost all of Dearborn and a small section of Dearborn Heights.
For those who prefer not to enroll online, district staff also can mail paperwork for families to complete and return to enroll a new student. Anyone with questions about enrollment can call 313-495-4004 during the closure. Most employees are working from home, so callers may need to leave a message.
The district modified its enrollment process after schools were abruptly closed in March to slow the spread of COVID-19. Traditional DPS Kindergarten Roundups were canceled as a result of the school closure.
To enroll in kindergarten, students must be 5 years old by Sept. 1. Waivers are available for students who will turn 5 after Sept. 1 but before Dec. 1. For parents already living in the district, the waivers need to be submitted by June 1. See the district website, https://dearbornschools.org/enroll for the waiver and more information.
DPS also offers a free Young Fives program for students who will turn 5 between June 15 and Dec. 1. That all-day program is offered at select schools and follows the kindergarten curriculum. Young Fives is held at DuVall, Geer Park, Haigh, Henry Ford, Lindbergh, Maples, McCollough, Oakman, River Oaks, Salina, Snow, Whitmore-Bolles and William Ford elementary schools.
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. Parents interested in the program will need to enroll their child in the district and can contact Student Services to learn more.
The district also is accepting registration for paid programs for the fall, including preschool programs and before and afterschool childcare. Parents interested in those programs can learn more by going to https://iblog.dearbornschools.org/earlychildhood. Scroll down on the home page to find a list of programs and prices for next school year.
Registration forms are available under a separate tab and can be printed and mailed in to reserve your spot. Children in paid programs do not need to reside in the district.
Parents interested in the state-sponsored Great Start Readiness Program preschool can sign up to receive more information about registration when it becomes available at https://cotter.dearbornschools.org. GSRP is not accepting official applications yet while awaiting more direction from the state. GSRP is open to low-income and working-class families at no cost to the family.
Situations are frequently changing during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the latest information about DPS, go to http://www.dearbornschools.org.