By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
If you have a child who will be entering kindergarten, the annual kindergarten round up is set for 6:30 p.m. March 4 at Hays High School.
To enter kindergarten in Hays USD 489, children must be 5 years old on or before Aug. 31, Kerri Lacy, Lincoln Elementary School principal, said in a recent interview on the Morning Blend.
You need to get your child's name on a list for kindergarten. A master list is kept at the district office; you can email [email protected] to get your child's name on the list.
Hays USD 489 allows family preference when choosing schools, so parents and guardians are asked to list schools in order of preference.
This includes Lincoln, O'Loughlin, Wilson and Roosevelt elementary schools.
Students do not have to attend the school nearest to their home. However, busing restrictions apply.
Families who already have children in an elementary school will be given preference. However, Lacy said most children are placed in their first preference school.
For those parents who don't have any children in the district yet, the district highly recommends parents attend the kindergarten round up.
Parents and guardians will hear from the superintendent, assistant superintendent and all elementary school principals. They will discuss the health paperwork and other documents that the district will need for enrollment, including the child's birth certificate and immunization records.
All kindergarteners also need a physical before they start school.
Spanish translation will be available but no child care. The meeting will last about 20 to 30 minutes.
In the days after the kindergarten roundup meeting, the district will offer tours at the elementary schools during which families can meet principals and teachers.
Those will be on March 5 and 7. See the schedule below.
Lincoln and Wilson elementary schools are set to close after the bond construction is completed. Hays Middle School will be converted into a new elementary school. Lincoln and Wilson will operate as they are now for two complete school years after the completion of this school year, Lacy said.
You can learn more about kindergarten enrollment on the USD 489 website at www.usd489.com/page/usd-489-kindergarten.