Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 22:18     Subject: Exceptions to the Prek3 Sept 30 cut off date?
Anonymous wrote:From this seat, that isn't "maturity." It's a kid who isn't struggling because they're too old for their grade, so it's easy - and also, who APPEARS more mature than their classmates because...well, they're more "mature" in the sense that they're just OLDER than the other kids in their grade. It's an optical illusion that parents like because it makes them feel like their kid is a genius rather than average, or slightly below it.
I guess teaching kids that the secret to a life of confidence and ease is to avoid difficult challenge and only take on assignments where they're on a glide path is one way to go. Not my choice for a resilience development technique, but ymmv.


I disagree, but my kid wasn't going to start PreK-3 at 2 and not potty trained. So we waited. None of this really matters in the end. I skipped a grade. Was the youngest in my HS graduating class. Ended up having to drop out of college. Went back as an older student, finished and later completed a doctorate at an R1. Illusion or not, it's working for us.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 18:43     Subject: Exceptions to the Prek3 Sept 30 cut off date?
My July baby, who was totally ready for PK3, was a lottery fail. (Meaning, we didn’t get any spot that year.) When entering the lottery the next year, his DOB automatically and correctly put him in for PK4 despite that being his first year at DCPS. As others have said, asking for PK3 a year late just because you have a July baby isn’t a thing. And they tightened up loopholes after the redshirt debacle last year. If there are developmental concerns, etc, that’s a different process to pursue.
Anonymous
Post 04/13/2026 20:13     Subject: Exceptions to the Prek3 Sept 30 cut off date?
From this seat, that isn't "maturity." It's a kid who isn't struggling because they're too old for their grade, so it's easy - and also, who APPEARS more mature than their classmates because...well, they're more "mature" in the sense that they're just OLDER than the other kids in their grade. It's an optical illusion that parents like because it makes them feel like their kid is a genius rather than average, or slightly below it.
I guess teaching kids that the secret to a life of confidence and ease is to avoid difficult challenge and only take on assignments where they're on a glide path is one way to go. Not my choice for a resilience development technique, but ymmv.
Anonymous
Post 04/13/2026 11:18     Subject: Exceptions to the Prek3 Sept 30 cut off date?
My now 22 year old was in one of the first classes of fulltime PreK-3. Bday is 9/6 and was 2 at the very beginning of the school year, but was bigger than most of the class. This continued through elementary and posed some problems when maturity didn't match size.

I learned from this and when my now 15 year old with a Nov bday was offered a spot at a charter with a Dec 30th cutoff, I declined. Being older has been a huge benefit IMO. Yes, paying that extra year of daycare wasn't fun, but seeing the effects of a mature kid navigating middle school and now HS made that expense worth it.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 22:25     Subject: Exceptions to the Prek3 Sept 30 cut off date?
Anonymous wrote:My daughter is waitlisted for Prek3 options that are convenient to our house so we may choose to just stay at current day care if we don't get in. She has a July birthday so would be young for the class anyway...can I reapply for Prek3 next year and have her start on the olderside if I don't utilize Prek3 this year?


No, you would have to be in PK4. DCPS is not very flexible about that. Unless you can show evidence or developmental delay, then they may be willing to discuss it or discuss delaying Kindergarten. But just being a July birthday is definitely not a reason.