Saint Louis Public Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) required for children in the City of St. Louis?

• No, the SLPS Early Childhood Education (ECE) Pre-Kindergarten Program is an optional program for the residents of St. Louis City.

When does SLPS Early Childhood Education Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) start?

• ECE Pre-Kindergarten classes begin on the first day of school for all of St. Louis City Public School District students.
• Each elementary school site has their individual bell times; examples below:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
  • Adams Elementary        8:05 am – 3:02 pm
  • Bryan Hill Elementary    8:15 am - 3:12 pm
  • Carver Elementary        9:10 pm - 4:07 pm
  • Froebel Elementary       9:17 am - 4:17 pm                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
•  First day of school rotates each year; please refer to SLPS District home web page for the district’s annual calendar.

What is the schedule for SLPS Pre-K Program?

• The ECE Pre-Kindergarten Program is a full day of learning.
• There is not a half-day or part-time option.
• P3 and P4 students are expected to begin and end their day as all the other elementary students at the school site assigned.

Who is eligible to apply for SLPS Pre-K Program?

• Families must reside within the St. Louis City limits, to be eligible to participate.
• Children must meet age requirements to be eligible to apply.
• Children must be fully toilet pot trained (able to go to the bathroom without assistance) to be eligible to participate.
• Pre-Kindergarten seating is limited; enrollment is on a "first-come, first-served" basis with all required documentation.
• District employees must also meet age and residency requirements.  Condition of employment does not guarantee enrollment.

What is the age eligibility for SLPS Pre-K Program enrollment?

• All children MUSTbe at least, three years old on or before July 31^st of the enrollment year.
• Four and five-year-old children, who do not meet the age criteria for kindergarten, prior to the July 31^st cut off.

What is the residency requirement for SLPS?

• Families enrolling in the SLPS Early Childhood Education Pre-Kg Program must be residents of St. Louis city.
• Parents/guardians must provide verification of a utility bill in their name from the city of St. Louis (i.e. Ameren, Spire, or St. Louis City Water Division).
• The verification must be valid; must be less than 45 days old.
• Please contact the SLPS Early Childhood Education Office for proof of residency questions; 314-331-6150.

How do families locate their SLPS neighborhood school?

• Go to www.slps.org home page, scroll down to Site Shortcuts click on Find My Neighborhood School. Enter your address, if you are a city resident it will list the SLPS Pre-K, Elementary, Middle, and High schools in your area.
• Contact the Recruitment and Placement Office at 314-633-5200, have your home address and zip code available to request your SLPS neighborhood school site.
• Contact the Early Childhood Education Office at 314-331-6150, have your home address and zip code available to request your SLPS neighborhood school site.

How do families begin the enrollment process for the SLPS Early Childhood Education Pre-Kg Program?

New student Open Enrollment is from April-August for each school year.

• Complete the ECE Pre-Registration Form go to www.slps.org, click Enroll, Early Childhood Education Information tab, then Pre-K students tab.
• Select New Pre-K Students tab, Select the link to complete the Early Childhood Pre-Registration Form.
• Begin acquiring the necessary documents for enrollment. See below for the list of documents required for enrollment:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
  •  Child's Official Birth Certificate
  •  Current immunization record 
  •  Physical exam (less than 12 months old)
  •  Parent/guardian valid ID 
  •  Parent/guardian utility bill for city residence (less than 45 days old).

• The ECE Office will contact families, as listed on the Pre-Registration Form, to schedule an appointment and complete the enrollment process. ALL documents must be provided to complete and secure students’ enrollment. 

New student enrollments will continue throughout the summer.  Please contact the ECE Office for questions you might have at 314-331-6150. 

Wait List Enrollments from September-December of current school year.

• Complete the ECE Program Interest Form from the SLPS home page go to slps.org, click Enroll, Early Childhood Education Information tab, then Pre-K students tab.
• Select New Pre-K Students, select the link to complete the ECE Program Interest Form. 
• Begin acquiring the necessary documents for enrollment. For the list of items see below:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
  • Child’s Official Birth Certificate 
  • current immunization record 
  • physical exam (less than 12 months old) 
  • parent/guardian valid ID 
  • parent/guardian utility bill for city residence.

• As seats become available, The ECE Office will contact families as listed on the ECE Pre-Kg Program Interest Form, to schedule appointments and complete the enrollment process.

The Early Childhood Education Pre-kg Program, Wait List is for families that are interested in acquiring an SLPS pre-kg seat that has opened up through a vacancy.  Families will be contacted if/when another family vacates a secured seat.  If contacted, the family must respond within a given time period.  Wait List enrollments are on a “first come first served basis”.

Wait List enrollments will continue throughout the fall as seats become available.  Please contact the ECE Office at 314-331-6150 for any questions you may have. 

Enrollment schedules (dates) are determined each year and are posted on the Early Childhood Education web page at www.slps.org/prek once determined.  

How are pre-kg students assigned to SLPS schools and classrooms?

• The Early Childhood Education Office will assist the family to find their neighborhood school.
• ECE Office will provide the ECE Registration Authorization Letter (Approval Letter) to the Parent/guardian. This will secure their child's seat placement at the assigned school site.
• The assigned school secretary/staff will place each student into their designated classroom.

Is there sibling priority?  (Sibling priority is not a guarantee of placement)

• Yes, however seating is limited and placement is "first-come, first-served" basis.
• Sibling priority is based on seating availability of the school site.
• In addition, families with multiple children must also meet and comply with the registration and enrollment procedures.

Will there be before and after care available?

• Before and after care programs are all managed at the school site. Please contact your assigned school site for information regarding these programs. 

Will SLPS pre-kg students need to wear school uniforms?

• School uniforms are determined and managed at the school site. Please contact your assigned school site for information regarding the uniform requirements. 

Is transportation provided for SLPS Pre-Kg students?

• P3 students– Are not eligible for transportation.
• P4 students- Families that enroll in their neighborhood school and live more than one mile away are eligible for transportation. 
• Families will be responsible for transporting their student if enrolled at school site that is not their designated neighborhood school.
• Please contact the transportation office directly at 314-633-5107 for transportation eligibility, routing information and students with specialized services.

What do families need to bring to complete SLPS ECE enrollment?

• Official government issued Birth Certificate or Passport- Children must be 3 or 4 years old on or by July 31st.
• Current Immunization/shot Record.
• Current physical exam completed by child's physician within the last 12 months. Need medical forms Click Here.

• Parent/legal guardian identification- valid government issued identification or passport.
• Proof of residency- Must be a current St. Louis city utility bill in your name for your present address from (Ameren, Laclede Gas, or St. Louis City Water Division). 
• For questions regarding alternate acceptable documentation, please contact the ECE office at 314-331-6150.
• ALL documents must be presented at the time of registration.

Why your personal information is required?

St. Louis Public Schools adheres to all state and federal guidelines mandated to public schools.

For additional information about the SLPS Early Childhood Education Program, please contact our office at 314-331-6150.