Kindergarten registration to begin Feb. 2 in Lake Washington schools

It's kindergarten registration time for Sammamish residents who live in the Lake Washington School District and have a child who will be five years old on or before Aug. 31. Registration takes place at their neighborhood school from 1-7 p.m. Feb. 2.

January 13, 2012 7:58 pm

It’s kindergarten registration time for Sammamish residents who live in the Lake Washington School District and have a child who will be five years old on or before Aug. 31. Registration takes place at their neighborhood school from 1-7 p.m. Feb. 2.

To register their child, parents should bring the following items:

● Proof of the child’s birth date such as a birth certificate or passport, and

● Child’s health history, including current immunizations

emergency contact information.

Lake Washington offers half-day kindergarten for all children in the district. However, the district may need to transport students to a school other than their neighborhood school due to enrollment levels. If that happens, a lottery will be held on Feb. 9 to determine which students will be affected.

Most schools in the district offer an all-day kindergarten program as well. The district charges for the all-day program. The state of Washington pays for half-day kindergarten, so the tuition covers the other half of the school day.

Fees have not yet been determined for the 2012-2013 school year. Tuition for 2011-2012 was $3,300. The 2011-2012 tuition for those who qualified for a reduced fee was $1,180; while it was $650 for those who qualified for free lunch.

Parents interested in registering their child for all-day kindergarten will need to bring their checkbook, as they will be asked to pay for the first month of kindergarten at the time of registration. Arrangements can be made for automatic withdrawals from bank account for monthly payments during the next school year.

If more than 21 children register for any all-day kindergarten classes, a lottery drawing will be held on Feb. 9 to determine the students in those classes.

Parents will be able to register their children for kindergarten after Feb. 2, up through the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. However, they are less likely to be able to get into an all-day kindergarten class and may be more likely to have their child assigned to a different school.

More information is available online. To determine which school is your neighborhood school, click on “District Map” or “School & Bus Finder,” or call the district transportation office at 425-936-1120.