Two young students pose for a photo and smiles from their parents in front of the Howard Elementary School sign on the first day of school in August 2022. Dearborn Public Schools is holding kindergarten roundups in March and April to welcome new students for the fall and provide families with important information about starting school.
By KATIE HETRICK
For the Times-Herald
DEARBORN — Parents living in the Dearborn School 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.
Each of the district’s 22 schools with elementary students is planning to hold a roundup in March or April. 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 23 for third through fifth.
Dearborn students show above average academic growth each year as measured on national tests, and the district maintains a 94 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 at National Blue Ribbon Schools in the last six years.
To enroll in kindergarten, students must be 5 years old by Sept. 1 and live within the DPS district. 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. See the district website for the waiver and more information.
Parents who live in Wayne County and want an online elementary school for their child can enroll in DPS Virtual K-12. That is the only Dearborn public school that takes elementary 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. For 2023-24, Young 5s is planned at Geer Park, Henry Ford, Lindbergh, Maples, Oakman, 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 13 locations around the district. Enrollment for GSRP will begin in April.
Learn more about the district’s programs for its youngest students at www.dearbornschools.org/welcome.
Kindergarten parents should also be aware that Dearborn Schools this year will again use a special schedule for those students. Kindergarteners will have a soft start, meaning half days of school for the first two weeks of class. This allows students a more successful and gradual transition to school.
Those dates have not been set yet because the district has not yet finalized its calendar for the 2023-24 school year. For the last five years, school has started on the Monday before Labor Day, which would be Aug. 28, 2023.
Parents now have the option of completing student enrollment entirely online. Enrollment can be started at https://dearbornschools.org/enroll, but will not be complete until required paperwork is submitted. To see which school your child would attend, visit the DPS 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 Dearborn Public Schools 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.
2023 kindergarten roundup schedule
• Becker Elementary, 313-827-6950 – April 26 from 10 to 11 a.m.
• Dearborn Public Schools Virtual K-12, 313-827-8405 – April 26 from 6 to 7 p.m. via Zoom.
• DuVall Elementary, 313-827-2750 – April 27 from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Geer Park Elementary, 313-827-2300- April 25 at 1:30 p.m.
• Haigh Elementary, 313-827-6200 – March 15 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
• Henry Ford Elementary, 313-827-4700 – March 14 at 9:15 a.m.
• Howard Elementary, 313-827-6350 – April 24 from 5 to 6 p.m.
• Howe Elementary, 313-827-7000 – April 12 at 5 p.m.
• Lindbergh Elementary, 313-827-6300 – March 8 at 6 p.m.
• Long Elementary, 313-827-6100 – April 27, 6 to 7 p.m.
• Lowrey School, 313-827-1800 – April 26 at 9:30 a.m.
• Maples Elementary, 313-827-6450 – April 19 from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m.
• McCollough Elementary, 313-827-1700 – April 27 at 9 a.m.
• McDonald Elementary, 313-827-6700 – March 23 at 9:15 a.m.
• Miller Elementary, 313-827-6850 – April 28 at 2 p.m.
• Nowlin Elementary, 313-827-6900 – April 27 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• Oakman Elementary, 313-827-6500 – April 6 at 2 p.m.
• River Oaks Elementary, 313-827-6750 – April 11 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
• Salina Elementary, 313-827-6550 – May 3 from 8:30-9:30 a.m.
• Snow Elementary, 313-827-6250 – April 4 at 9:30 a.m.
• Whitmore-Bolles Elementary, 313-827-6800 – April 6 from 2 to 3 p.m.
• William Ford Elementary, 313-827-6400 – March 14 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.