Pre-K
What Should I Know About Pre-K?
Early childhood learning is important to academic success for the rest of a child's life! Pre-kindergarten provides students with a rich curriculum and an innovative, engaging environment where purposeful play leads to learning in reading, writing, math, music, arts and more.
- The district's pre-kindergarten (or pre-k) program for four year olds is free of charge when the students or families meet at least one qualifying factor.
- Students attend school for three hours each day, in either the morning or afternoon. If childcare is needed for the other portion of the day, please discuss this with your Early Childhood specialist.
- The family must be able to transport the child to and from school or arrange for the transportation, and they are required to complete the federal free and reduced meal program application to help the Early Childhood program receive the funding needed to make pre-k available to families for free. We also ask that parents ensure the student attends school regularly to develop positive attendance habits for future grades.
Who Can Attend Pre-K?
Wichita Public Schools offers free Pre-kindergarten programs for children who are 4 years old on or before Aug. 31 of the school year they will begin attending. Priority registration is given to those enrolling before the start of a new school year; however, if spots continue to be available at our school, we will accept additional pre-k students during the year.
Registration for the 2025-26 school year will open in March 2025, for any students who turn 4 between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025. Please visit the district's pre-k enrollment page to begin the application and registration process.
What Are the Qualifying Factors?
- Low income (for example, eligible for food assistance)
- Single-parent family
- Limited English proficiency
- Either parent lacking a high school diploma or GED
- Teen parent family
- Child qualifies for migrant status
- Agency referral
- Lower than expected developmental progress
If you're unsure whether your child qualifies for the free program, we invite you to complete the interest form on the District Pre-K page so that an Early Childhood specialist can contact you to discuss your child's placement.