Students wishing to enroll in Kindergarten in the Niles City School District now have until September 30 of each calendar year to meet the age requirement. Starting with the 2024-2025 school year, students must turn five years of age on or before September 30 to enroll in Kindergarten. The Niles City Schools Board of Education voted to approve the change at their meeting on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.
“The early years of a child’s education are instrumental in shaping their cognitive, social, and emotional development,” says Niles City Schools Director of Teaching and Learning, Toni D’Urso. “We are grateful to the Board for supporting our request to extend the age cutoff date and understanding the multitude of benefits it will provide to students and families who are able to take advantage of it.”
By law, all children in the state of Ohio must attend Kindergarten before entering first grade. The Ohio Department of Education gives school districts two dates to choose from when setting district policy regarding age requirement deadlines for enrollment – August 1st and September 30th.
Niles Primary School Principal, Mrs. Amanda Tricomi says the district’s decision to extend the date only enhances a student’s educational journey. “We will now be able to reach and teach an expanded group of students early literacy and reading skills, positive behaviors, social and emotional coping strategies, and really get them acclimated and immersed, and excited to be in school with their peers,” Tricomi explains. “Our team greatly values the importance of these early childhood education years which set the stage for future learning experiences. We’re extremely excited to welcome additional Niles Red Dragons students into our family and get their classroom careers off and running positively!”
Students enrolling in Kindergarten must be five years of age by the September 30 deadline. The Niles City School District’s Kindergarten is an all-day, everyday program incorporating a collaborative curriculum across all six classrooms. The educational team is dedicated to developing and enhancing early literacy skills. Small class sizes allow teachers the opportunity to provide personalized attention to each child, tailoring instruction to individual needs, thus fostering a more comfortable and productive learning environment.
The Niles City School District also hosts a district-run Mini-Dragons Preschool program. This program is free to Niles families and is open to in-district resident students who are four years of age by August 1st. Classes meet five days a week for five hours each day. Students receive free breakfast and lunch; transportation is also provided. The program began with one classroom during the 2021-2022 school year, added a second classroom in the 2023-2024 school year, and will expand to accommodate three classrooms for the 2024-2025 school year.
The Niles City School District will begin accepting online enrollment applications for the Mini-Dragons Preschool program and Kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year on February 1, 2024.
Click here to begin the enrollment process.A Kindergarten and Preschool Open House will also be held for families on Friday, February 16, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the Primary School located at 960 Frederick St. All families interested in learning more about the classes are invited to attend.