District outlines kindergarten enrollment timeline, outreach and grade-transition supports

Colleen Peterson, speaking for Spring Lake Park Public Schools, told the board the district is actively accepting enrollment for the 2025–26 school year and is running targeted outreach to incoming kindergarten families and early-childhood providers.

Peterson said the district has received inquiries and reported "somewhere around 500 new enrollees" expected for next fall, with "about 400–450" of those anticipated to be kindergarten students. Enrollment opened Dec. 1 and is open to in-district and open-enrollment applicants; the priority placement deadline for kindergarten applications is Feb. 28. Peterson noted that if programs such as Spanish immersion are oversubscribed, a lottery could be used to allocate seats and she encouraged families to enroll promptly to appear on the district's radar.

What the district is doing: outreach steps described to the board included a mailing this fall to households with children ages 0–5, targeted principal letters to families known from census lists or prior early-childhood participation, mailings and digital communications in December and January, phone outreach beginning in February to families not yet enrolled, and confirmation letters sent in March–April. The district plans kindergarten "new family" events at school sites (Northpointe Jan. 28; Park Terrace Feb. 6; both start at 5:30 p.m.), a three-day kindergarten camp in August, and a May "K in Action" event where incoming kindergarteners rotate through classroom stations.

Grade-transition work: Peterson summarized the district's transition supports. For 4th-to-5th grade, principals will send family communications in January and follow-up in February. Westwood middle-school teams will host overview sessions on Feb. 19 (multiple Webex times) and an in-person visit for 4th graders on March 27; 7th-and-8th-grade elective registration windows and counselor outreach were also described (7th-grade elective registration begins Feb. 21; 8th-grade elective registration March 6). High school registration opened Monday, Jan. 13; the district posted the course catalog and an interactive guide, and Peterson noted high-school registration closes Feb. 14.

Board questions and context: a board member (Glenn) asked whether the "explore your options" event targeted 9th graders; staff said it was for all grade levels and that counselors will support students and families through registration events. Peterson emphasized the district's outreach to day-care providers (both in-home and larger centers) and partners outside the district boundary that could be added to transportation routes.

Why it matters: timely enrollment and clear transitions help the district plan staffing, bus routes and program placements. The board packet and district website contain event dates and registration links.