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Kindergarten

WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN!  

The Aurora City Schools house all of our kindergarten learners at Miller Elementary School.  We offer full-day kindergarten at a paid tuition cost and a half-day program with no cost to families. 

Each winter, we hold a parent meeting called Kick-Off to Kindergarten for all families enrolling their children in the Aurora Schools! A description of full-day vs. half-day will be shared at our annual Kick-Off to Kindergarten Parent Presentation, along with how to navigate the registration process, what kindergarten looks like in the Aurora Schools, and how to prepare your child to start kindergarten!

The Kick-Off to Kindergarten Parent-Only Meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 17th, 2026, at 6:30 PM in the Aurora High School Auditorium. 

Kick Off to Kindergarten Parent Presentation

If you missed the Kick-off to Kindergarten parent meeting, stop by Miller Elementary between the hours 9:30AM and 3:00PM to pick up a registration folder!

Kindergarten registration for the 25-26 school year is ongoing. We will begin registering kindergarteners for the 2026-27 school year starting in March 2026, after our Kick-Off to Kindergarten Parent Meeting. Information about the important dates and the specific steps for registration will be shared at this parent-only meeting. Kindergarten enrollment numbers can fluctuate from year to year, so it is critical that families register their children for kindergarten during the March registration window. Residents are urged to remind friends and neighbors who have students approaching kindergarten age to attend Kick-Off to Kindergarten in February and register their students during our March registration days. 

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, students must be 5 years old on or before the first day of school on August 18th, 2026, to be eligible for regular entrance into kindergarten in the Aurora City Schools. This change will be adopted at the January 2026 meeting by the Aurora Board of Education based on House Bill 114, which takes effect for the 26-27 school year.

Students who turn 5 after August 18 will be eligible for the early entrance assessment process in accordance with state laws and district policy. In some instances, young children who are born after the deadline of August 18 are advanced in academic skills, personal development, and emotional maturity. However, very few children who are referred for Early Entrance meet the entrance criteria. Families whose children turn 5 after August 18 are encouraged to make appropriate preschool/childcare accommodations for the 2026-27 school year and plan for their students to enter kindergarten in the fall of 2027.

Important Dates for Kindergarten Registration

  • Kick Off to Kindergarten Parent-Only Meeting: Tuesday, February 17th, 2026, at 6:30 PM at the AHS Auditorium

  • Kindergarten Registration: By Appointment: March 4th and 5th at the Kohanski Conference Center

  • Kindergarten Screening and Building Tours: By Appointment, the week of April 13th, at Miller Elementary School

Early Entrance to Kindergarten

  • Students who are not 5 by August 18th miss the deadline for kindergarten entrance for 2026. It is encouraged that families still attend the Kick-Off to Kindergarten Parent meeting to learn about kindergarten, enrollment, and early entrance. Following this meeting, families may request an Early Entrance assessment,  and they must complete the Early Entrance Form between February 17, 2026, through March 31, 2026. No exceptions will be granted outside of this window.  The Early Entrance digital form will be available on the website on February 17th, 2026.

  • Early Entrance to Kindergarten is a form of acceleration that places students with peers who may be up to a full year older than them. Families should consider how this decision will impact their child throughout the school experience. The Early Entrance assessment evaluates intellectual ability (IQ), kindergarten readiness skills, and social and emotional maturity (attention span, independence, ability to follow directions, cooperation, ability to interact with others). 

  • An altered registration process will be communicated to families who complete the Early Entrance Google Form.

  • Early Entrance to Kindergarten Request Form

View additional information here:  2026 ACSD Early Entrance to Kindergarten Guidelines

Early Entrance Process and Timeline

  • February 17 through March 31 - Early Entrance Interest Form Submission Required (Form will be available on February 17th, 2026)

  • April 1-30 - Completion of Early Entrance Questionnaire by Parents & Scheduling of Testing

  • May 1 - 29 - Testing Completed & Notifications Communicated