November 3, 2023
Dear Parents/Guardians of Incoming Kindergarten Students,
The purpose of this letter is to share that we are holding Kindergarten registration much earlier than previous years due to the change in Kindergarten entry age.
On August 28, 2023, I provided you with an update on recent legislation that was approved at the Connecticut General Assembly regarding the age of entrance for incoming public school students throughout the state. On June 29, 2023, Public Act 23-208 was approved which, among other topics, states, “public schools shall be open to all children five years of age and over who reach age five on or before the first day of September of any school year.” Prior to this legislation, the eligibility date had been December 31st of any such school year.
Public Act 23-208 also includes the following provision: “a child who has not reached the age of five on or before the first day of September of the school year may be admitted (1) upon a written request by the parent or guardian of such child to the principal of the school in which such child would be enrolled, and (2) following an assessment of such child, conducted by such principal and an appropriate certified staff member of the school, to ensure that admitting such child is developmentally appropriate.”
In response to the recent change in legislation, the following steps will be taken:
Kindergarten registration will be open November 13 through November 27 (while registration will be open throughout the year, we encourage all families to register in this window so that we can have the most accurate enrollment). A follow-up letter will be sent with specific registration instructions.
Parents of Milford Public Schools Preschool or Milford Ready to Learn students WILL need to complete a special online kindergarten registration form. Specific information will be provided directly to those families.
During the registration process, parents of children born between September 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019 will be able to indicate that they are seeking a waiver for admittance in September 2024.
Assessment window will be held November 27 - December 8 for all children whose families are requesting a waiver (for children born between September 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019). Schools will contact parents of these children to set up an appointment for assessment.
Notification on December 15 to all parents who requested a waiver for their child.
Thank you for your understanding while we work through these legislated changes. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or your school Principal.
Sincerely,
Anna Cutaia, Ed. D.
Superintendent