5 things to know about signing your child up for kindergarten in CCSD

It’s a big milestone when your child starts kindergarten.

What age can they start school? And how does the registration process work?

One thing to keep in mind: The kindergarten cutoff age will change for the upcoming school year.

Now, children must be 5 years old by Aug. 1 to attend kindergarten in Nevada’s public schools. It was previously the first day of school.

The change is the result of state legislators passing Assembly Bill 65 this session.

In a Friday news release, the Clark County School District outlined kindergarten registration requirements for the upcoming school year that begins Aug. 7.

Here are five things you should know:

What’s the new cutoff date to enroll?

Statewide, the new eligibility cutoff date is Aug. 1, meaning your child must be 5 years old by then in order to attend kindergarten.

Are there any exemptions?

The school district says children who turn 5 from Aug. 2-7 have the option of getting an exemption for this school year if they completed preschool. That allows them to enroll in kindergarten instead of waiting a year.

The district says acceptable preschool programs include those run by the district, community-based preschools, homeschool programs and private schools and daycares.

Didn’t the requirements just change?

The cutoff date has shifted multiple times in recent years, leading to some confusion among parents.

During the 2021 session, state legislators passed a bill to change the cutoff date from Sept. 30 to the first day of school.

But the school year calendar varies among the state’s 17 school districts and the dozens of public charter schools, so there wasn’t uniformity with the cutoff date.

Now, the date has changed again.

What age are children required to start school?

Under the bill passed by legislators this session, children must start school by 6 years old — a change that takes effect July 1, 2024.

Currently, children must enroll in school by 7 years old.

How do I enroll my child?

Information about registration, including immunization requirements and a tool where you can search for your zoned school, is available at register.ccsd.net.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.