Early Admission to Kindergarten

[Anonymous]

A couple of people have posted (in previous threads) that there are private schools that will accept late birthdays into Kindergarten early. Can anyone speak to the process for getting cleared to attend and which private schools have done this? Not looking to debate if this is the right decision; just seeking knowledge regarding the process and schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A couple of people have posted (in previous threads) that there are private schools that will accept late birthdays into Kindergarten early. Can anyone speak to the process for getting cleared to attend and which private schools have done this? Not looking to debate if this is the right decision; just seeking knowledge regarding the process and schools.

How would someone else’s process at an entirely different school help you? Why not ask the school you are interested in itself? Bad idea anyway.

[Anonymous]

Did you mean to post this on the private school board? This has nothing to do with FCPS.

[Anonymous]

All of the accredited kindergarten programs near us have strict cutoffs for dates. I don't know how anyone is able to do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of the accredited kindergarten programs near us have strict cutoffs for dates. I don't know how anyone is able to do this.

Interested in this, too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of the accredited kindergarten programs near us have strict cutoffs for dates. I don't know how anyone is able to do this.

This. I'm not aware of any accredited K programs within FFX that do not use the FCPS cutoff. There are some that are not accredited that may call it a K program, but FCPS is not going to accept that for K and jump your kid into first.

[Anonymous]

Daycare centers often have a Kindergarten classroom. It is usually a mixture of people who have several kids in the center and kids who don't make the age cutoff for FCPS Kindergarten. For those of age, it was an accredited Kindergarten and they could go on to first grade. For those who were 4 and turned 5, it was like a gap year. They still had to do Kindergarten in FCPS the next year or repeat Kindergarten at the center, there was no going straight to public school a year early.

[Anonymous]

Ask FCPS central office.

My kid also got early admission to kindergarten in MCPS many years ago. I think all public school systems accomodate.

[Anonymous]

The only people I know who have done anything like this in the last few years have been people who have moved from other school districts with different cut-off dates. For example, one of my children has a friend who moved here in 2nd grade from a district where the cut off date was December 31, so he is significantly younger than most of the kids in the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask FCPS central office.

My kid also got early admission to kindergarten in MCPS many years ago. I think all public school systems accomodate.

There is no early admissions for kindergarten. If you child does not turn 5 by September 30 of the year they are starting school, they will not enter kindergarten.

—FCPS ES principal

[Anonymous]

^^^your child

[Anonymous]

It’s not an FCPS date. It’s statewide

[Anonymous]

But I think what she’s asking, and what FCPS allows, is starting kindergarten early at a private school and then transferring back to FCPS a few years later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But I think what she’s asking, and what FCPS allows, is starting kindergarten early at a private school and then transferring back to FCPS a few years later.

Here is the language from the FCPS website:
Age

A child may enter kindergarten if he or she turns five on or before September 30 of the year he or she enters school.
This age requirement also applies to students who transfer from other school districts after the start of the school year.
The age requirement is set by Virginia law, and FCPS is not able to make exceptions.

Is kindergarten mandatory?

Virginia law states that parents must ensure a child attends school, if he or she will be five years old on or before September 30.
However, if, in your opinion as a parent, your child is not mentally, physically, or emotionally prepared to attend school, he or she may be exempted for that year. You will need to notify your local school if you do not want your child to attend kindergarten until the following year.

Once a student turns six, school attendance is mandatory. Grade placement (either kindergarten or first grade) will be determined at the time of enrollment with consideration for factors such as age, academic records, and school readiness.

If OP’s kid goes to a private kindergarten, they would still be placed in kindergarten the next year in FCPS. Why? Because the child will still be age 5 through September 30. They would not turn 6 until after September 30.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely the only way this would happen is if you start on time in another state with a later cutoff, complete kindergarten and part or all of first grade, and then transfer.