The enrollment window for MPS kindergarten ends March 4. Here’s what you need to know

Rory Linnane, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Updated ·6 min read
Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Keith Posley stops in Laura Mcnelly’s K5 class during a tour at Grantosa Drive School, a kindergarten through eighth grade school at North 82nd Street in Milwaukee on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. Last spring, dozens of staff members reported problems at the school including chaos in classrooms and halls; little to no learning, physical attacks on teachers and other kids and no consequences for bad behavior.
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For Milwaukee families who want to send their children to kindergarten in the fall, the process begins as early as February. Those who sign up by March 4 have the best chance of getting their top choice.

Most Milwaukee public schools offer 5-year-old kindergarten (5K) and 4-year-old kindergarten (4K). Some schools also offer 3-year-old kindergarten (3K). Learn more at mpsmke.com/enrolltoday.

Students who are already enrolled in an MPS school are automatically enrolled at that school for the following year. The February enrollment period is for families who are enrolling in a new school for kindergarten, elementary or middle school. High school enrollment starts further in advance, opening in fall for the following year.

Here’s how the kindergarten enrollment process works.

How old do children have to be for MPS kindergarten programs?

MPS has kindergarten programs for children who are age 3, 4 or 5 by Sept. 1 of the year they begin school.

What are the most competitive MPS kindergarten programs and how do you get in?

The vast majority of MPS families, 95% of them, get into their top-choice school for kindergarten, and 98% get one of their top three choices.

This school year, three schools filled up and had to decline students: Bay View Montessori, Fernwood Montessori and Maryland Montessori.

When a school can't accept everyone, it prioritizes students who enroll by March 4 in this order:

  • First priority: students with siblings already attending the school

  • Second priority: students within the school's walk zone, which typically extends one or two miles from the building

  • Third priority: students within the school's busing zone, which can be checked on the MPS website

If a school runs out of space before taking all the third-priority students, those students are chosen randomly. If the school has still has seats for some applicants after enrolling students in the top three priorities, additional students are chosen randomly.

How do you choose an MPS school for kindergarten?

Families enrolling at MPS must select their top three school choices. Families may pick schools based on location or specialty programs.

Some MPS schools are considered "neighborhood" schools, and they prioritize seats for families who live nearby. Others are called "citywide specialty schools," and they can have different ways of deciding who gets in.

Families can find schools near them, and schools with specialty programs, with the MPS "Find a School" tool. Programs include: bilingual education, language immersion, Montessori education, arts and technology.

Which MPS schools have bilingual programs?

MPS offers two types of bilingual programs. "One-way" bilingual programs are specifically for students who are learning English while continuing to develop their first languages. "Two-way" bilingual programs serve the same population as well as native English speakers who are learning another language.

In both programs, the goal is for all students to develop bilingual skills in conversation and writing. In 5-year-old kindergarten, students receive 90% of their instruction in Spanish and 10% in English. Instruction in English increases gradually and remains at 50% from grades 4 through 12.

Schools with one-way programs include: Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes, Albert E. Kagel School, Alexander Mitchell Integrated Arts School, Allen-Field Elementary School, Anna F. Doerfler School, Forest Home Avenue School, Greenfield Bilingual School, H. W. Longfellow School, Lincoln Avenue Elementary School, Riley Dual Language Montessori, Rogers Street Academy and Vieau School/Escuela Vieau.

Schools with two-way programs include: Albert E. Kagel School, Fratney School/La escuela Fratney, Hayes Bilingual School and Riley Dual Language Montessori.

What are Montessori programs?

MPS is credited nationwide with having the largest number of public Montessori schools in one district.

The Montessori education method, developed by physician Maria Montessori over a century ago, emphasizes learning through hands-on exploration, often allowing students to choose activities and follow their interests.

MPS schools with Montessori programs include: Bay View Montessori, Craig Montessori, Fernwood Montessori, Highland Community, Lloyd Barbee Montessori, MacDowell Montessori, Maryland Avenue Montessori and Riley Dual Language Montessori.

How do you enroll in MPS kindergarten?

The first enrollment period for families to apply to MPS kindergarten programs is from Feb. 3 to March 4. Enrolling during this period gives families the best chance of getting into the school of their choice.

For those who miss the first enrollment period, enrollment reopens April 10; it just might be harder to snag a top-choice school.

To enroll online, families with children who've already attended a MPS school can do so through Infinite Campus, while families who are new to the district can enroll through a separate link on the district website.

Alternatively, families may be able to enroll in person at an MPS school. They can also contact the district enrollment office at 414-475-8159, or attend the Saturday enrollment fair.

Christy Stone, Milwaukee Public Schools director of strategic partnership, reads a story about water to K4 and K5 students who had just filled their water bottles at the new filtered drinking fountain at Frances Brock Starms Early Childhood Center on West Garfield Avenue in Milwaukee on Monday. Milwaukee Public Schools has installed nearly 600 new Elkay filtered bottle filling stations and converted 2,500 existing filtered drinking fountains.

What about Head Start?

Head Start is a federally funded preschool program for children from lower-income families. While Head Start can be found at 39 MPS schools, there are also Head Start programs offered by United Community Center, Next Door Foundation and other organizations. All locations can be found on the Head Start website.

Families are eligible for Head Start if their income falls below certain levels based on their family size. For a family of three, the maximum annual income is $24,860. Families can register year-round through MPS or another provider.

MPS offers full-day Head Start programs, including bilingual options, for children who are 3 or 4 years old on Sept. 1 of the year they start. The program is meant to prepare children for kindergarten.

What about private and charter schools?

Families interested in private schools and most charter schools will go through different application processes.

Last year, over 4,000 children enrolled in K3 and K4 though the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, a tax-funded program that allows lower-income families to attend private schools for free. The application period for that program opens in February for all ages.

Many charter schools have their own application processes. A list of all charter schools can be found on the state Department of Public Instruction website. The Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools also maintains a directory of charter schools and their specialties.

Milwaukee charter schools that start in K4 include: Bruce Guadalupe, Central City Cyberschool, Darrell Lynn Hines Academy, La Casa de Esperanza, Milwaukee Academy of Science, Milwaukee Scholars, Rocketship, Seeds of Health, Stellar Collegiate and Woodlands.

Milwaukee charter schools that start in K3 include: Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes, Downtown Montessori, Highland Community School, Hmong American Peace Academy, Honey Creek Elementary, Individualized Developmental Educational Approaches to Learning, La Causa, Milwaukee College Preparatory School, Milwaukee Environmental Science Academy, Next Door and Whittier Elementary.

Mateo Salazar holds up his diploma after receiving it during a 5-year-old kindergarten graduation ceremony at Bruce Guadalupe Community School on South 9th Street in Milwaukee on Thursday.
Mateo Salazar holds up his diploma after receiving it during a 5-year-old kindergarten graduation ceremony at Bruce Guadalupe Community School on South 9th Street in Milwaukee on Thursday.

Is kindergarten required?

While Wisconsin law does not require children to enroll in kindergarten, it does prohibit public schools from enrolling students in first grade who have not completed kindergarten. In some cases, children can skip kindergarten if they get an exemption or plan to attend a private school or homeschool.

K3 and K4 programs for 3- and 4-year-olds are optional.

Do MPS kindergarten programs provide meals and transportation?

MPS provides free breakfast and lunch for all students.

MPS provides busing for most students, depending on location. Generally, a young student is provided a school bus if they live at least a mile from their school and within the school's transportation region. Families can check eligibility on the MPS website or by calling 414-475-8922.

Contact Rory Linnane at rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @RoryLinnane. 

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How to register for MPS 3K, 4K, kindergarten and find best schools