Kindergarten Options

A half day of kindergarten is funded by the state for all students in Washington state schools. Students are selected for morning or afternoon sessions based on the school bus schedule for their area. The Lighthouse Elementary Cooperative is a K-5 community located at Jefferson Elementary, built on parent involvement in the classrooms. For more information visit their website at www.lighthousecoop.org or e-mail them at registrar@lighthousecoop.org. Port Gardner Parent Partnership is an optional program that provides support for home school families, and is located adjacent to Sequoia High School. For more information, call 425-385-5150 or visit their website at www.everett.k12.wa.us/portgardner.

All-Day Kindergarten

There are several all-day opportunities in the district: Tuition based all-day kindergarten is available for families who pay tuition. It is located at schools where there is classroom space and enough students register. For more information, request an all-day kindergarten packet from your school office. The state funds an all-day kindergarten program at Garfield and Hawthorne for all students registered at those schools. Variances into those schools may be available as space allows. If you wish for your child to attend all-day kindergarten at Garfield or Hawthorne and it is not your neighborhood school, please complete the General Kindergarten Registration paperwork at your neighborhood school. Then submit a completed all-day kindergarten application and a variance request to the office at Garfield or Hawthorne. Once funding and enrollment information is final, Garfield or Hawthorne will notify you about all-day kindergarten status. This will be after school starts in mid-September. WaKIDS (Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills) is a process for welcoming students and their families to kindergarten, and for assessing children's strengths and development. The beginning of the kindergarten year is different at schools participating in WaKIDS. See the WaKIDS information flyer for details and a list of participating schools. Extended kindergarten learning programs are available at some elementary schools, based upon space availability and student learning needs. Inquire at your school for more information about those programs and whether your child might qualify.

Choosing a different school

• You may request to have your child attend all-day or half-day kindergarten at a school that is outside of your designated attendance area (neighborhood school). This is called a variance.

• Variance forms are available in your school office, on the district website, or by calling 425-385-4070.

• Variances are approved or denied by the principal after considering enrollment and other factors.

• Parents must provide transportation for kindergarten programs outside their neighborhood school area.

To request a variance for kindergarten:

1. At your neighborhood school you must:
   Register for kindergarten

2. At the school you are requesting you must:
   Submit a Variance Request
   Submit the all day kindergarten application, paperwork and deposit (if applicable)