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.

District 834 will consider for early entrance to kindergarten for those children whose birth date falls between September 2 and October 31. Early entrants must show good physical health, emotional maturity, good social adjustment, exceptional pre-academic skills, and superior intelligence. There must be evidence that the child will experience success with the total school program.

Early enrollment is a big decision for most families. The early enrollment option is intended for children with fall birthdays who have demonstrated a readiness to be successful as grade-accelerated students throughout their entire K-12 schooling experience. Since your child’s school success is extremely important to us, we encourage careful consideration of both the benefits and disadvantages of the early entrance option. Feel free to call us at 651-351-8405 to determine the best option for your child.

Steps for Early Entrance Request

• Review and return the the Early Entrance Criteria and Questionnaire 
• Attach a copy of a birth certificate
• Enclose a check for $125.00 (if you qualify for Free/Reduced lunch, you can request a fee waiver).
• Send these items by May 1 to:
  Stillwater Area Public Schools
  Attention: Dawn Waller Lueck
  1875 South Greeley Street
  Stillwater, MN 55082

Decision Making

An appointment will be scheduled during the months of May and June for an individual assessment of your child by a school psychologist. If appropriate, further evaluation in a simulated kindergarten setting will also be conducted in June.

The results and recommendation for early entrance will be shared with you and the home school principal who will render an enrollment decision. School registration for early kindergarten will only be accepted after the full assessment has been completed and the student is found eligible for early admittance.

If you have moved into the district after May 1 and would like your child considered for early entrance, we will do our best to accommodate your request.