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6.01.2024

Kindergarten and First Grade Enrollment

Young girl and boy with light skin and hair in a classroom playing with toys at a table.

In the 2023 Nevada legislative session, legislators passed Assembly Bill 65 (AB65) which changed age requirements for entry into Kindergarten and First Grade for all school districts in Nevada. 

On May 3, 2024, the Nevada Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Jhone Ebert, issued a memo to provide clarification on what these changes mean for students in the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. This article provides a summary of the information provided to all school districts and charter schools in that memo.

Who can enroll in kindergarten in Nevada for the 2024-2025 school year?

Who can enroll in first grade in Nevada for the 2024-2025 school year?

Are there any exemptions to the above enrollment criteria? 

Yes, there are exceptions if a child moved to Nevada from outside of the state because of the military transfer of the parent or legal guardian. 

  1. A child who transfers to a school in this State from a school outside of this State because of the military transfer of the parent or legal guardian of the child can enroll in kindergarten if the child was enrolled in kindergarten in another state in accordance with the laws of that state, regardless of the child’s age. The transfer can occur at any point in the school year. 
  2. A child who transfers to a school in Nevada from a school outside of this State because of the military transfer of the parent or legal guardian of the child can enroll in first grade if that was the grade the child would be attending had he or she remained a resident of the other state. The transfer can occur at any point in the school year.

Are there any other exemptions, other than military, to the enrollment criteria?

No, there are no additional exceptions.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of frequently asked questions:

  1. Can a child who is not yet five years old on August 1, 2024, and completed pre-kindergarten in the 2023-2024 school year, enroll in kindergarten in the 2024-2025 school year?
    Answer: No, the child does not meet the minimum age requirement.

  2. Can a child who completed kindergarten via online or homeschool enroll in first grade
    Answer: No, the requirement for the completion of kindergarten is only met through public or private schools.

  3. Can a child enrolled in kindergarten in another state that did not turn five years old on or before August 1, 2024, transfer mid-year into kindergarten?
    Answer: No, per AB65 the child does not meet the minimum age requirement (unless the child moved because of the military transfer of a parent or guardian – see above military transfer exceptions.)

  4. Can a child who is not yet five years old on August 1, 2024, take an assessment which would allow him/her to enroll in kindergarten?
    Answer: No.

 

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First 5 Nevada, a program of The Children's Cabinet, is partially supported with funding from the Administration for Children and Families Child Care and Development Fund through a subaward agreement with the Nevada Division of Social Services, Child Care and Development Program (Grant #G00996005). First 5 Nevada was initially developed with funding from the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Initiative (PDG B-5), Grant Number 90TP0099, awarded to the Nevada Department of Education, from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the the Office of Child Care, the Administration for Children and Families, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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