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    Looking to apply for Pre-K for Fall of 2025?

    The Pre-K lottery application for the 2025-2026 school year will be available from February 17, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. through March 10, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. The lottery drawing will take place on March 24, 2025.  Lottery results will need to be verified before they can be released, which may take a few days. Once verified, all applicants will be notified of the results via email or text (parent preference) and can view the results on their parent dashboard within the enrollment system.  

    After the lottery drawing on March 24, 2025, the application will reopen on April 1, 2025, at 9:00 a.m., and any remaining seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If a seat becomes available, and you are next in line, you will be contacted by email.

    Program Requirements

    • The child must turn four years old by September 1, 2025.
    • The child must live within the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) attendance zone.
    • All APS employees are eligible to apply for their child(ren) only, even if they live outside the APS attendance zone.
    • If you are the parent of twins, triplets, or multiples, you are required to submit one application per child. Before the lottery drawing takes place, each application will be linked to ensure that the children are placed at the same site.
    • Applicants must have a valid email address to apply.

    Lottery Application Process

    Applicants can access the online lottery application by visiting https://apsprekapp.schoolmint.com/login from February 17 to March 10, 2025. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT BEFORE FEBRUARY 17. Doing so will result in submitting an application for the wrong school year, and your application will not be included in the lottery.

    The application will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. You will be asked to submit copies of key documents before your application can be considered complete and submitted. The required documents are listed below. Failure to submit the correct documentation will result in your application being marked ineligible for lottery participation.

    If you are unable to complete the application in one sitting, you can save your progress and return to it later. However, you must submit it by March 10 at 11:59 p.m. Lottery applications will NOT be accepted after March 10 at 11:59 p.m. for any reason.

     

    When completing the application, applicants will have the option to select up to three different Pre-K sites, listed in order of preference. Selecting three sites is optional. If you are only interested in one or two sites, simply leave the other selection fields blank.  Although it is not mandatory, we strongly encourage you to select your child's zoned school as your first choice. Acceptance into your zoned school helps ensure an easier transition to kindergarten. Additionally, school bus transportation services will only be provided if your child is accepted into their zoned school and lives more than one mile away from the school.

    If you apply after the lottery drawing has occurred, you will be limited to selecting only one site. Once the lottery results have been verified, each applicant will receive an email notification regarding the outcome. If your child is not accepted, they will be placed on the waiting list for your first-choice school only. All applicants—whether accepted or wait listed—must accept or decline their offer within 48 hours of receiving it.

     

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the age requirement for a student to enroll in Pre-K?

    To be eligible for the 2025-2026 school year, your child's date of birth must fall between September 2, 2020, and September 1, 2021.

    If my child lives outside the Atlanta Public Schools attendance zone, is he/she eligible to participate in the Pre-K program?

    No. If your home address is not zoned for Atlanta Public Schools, you are not eligible to participate. If you're unsure whether your address is zoned for APS, click here to verify. This does not apply to APS employees.

    If I am an APS employee and do not live within the APS attendance zone, is my child eligible to participate?

    Yes. APS employees are eligible to apply for their child(ren), even if they live outside the APS attendance zone. Proof of employment (such as an employee badge, Lawson number, or check stub) is required.

    If my child is eligible for Kindergarten but did not participate in a state-funded Pre-K program, are they still eligible to enroll in Pre-K?

    No. If your child is eligible for Kindergarten, please contact your zoned school for registration information.

    The lottery drawing took place, and my child was placed on the waiting list. How can I find out if he/she has moved up on the list?

    As your child moves up on the waiting list, your parent dashboard will automatically update with the new waiting list placement number. We will not contact you to provide an update.

    My child did not meet developmental milestones or Kindergarten readiness criteria. Are they eligible to participate for an additional year?

    Children are eligible for Pre-K for one year only (Ref. GA Pre-K Family Handbook, p. 2). Families interested in submitting a request for a second year must follow the steps outlined in the Georgia Pre-K Operating Guidelines.

    The Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) will review requests for children to repeat Pre-K on a case-by-case basis. Pre-K programs can request to retain a child in Pre-K, but the request should be discussed with the child’s family prior to submission. Retention requests must be submitted by the Pre-K Project Directors and should include the following:

    • A letter from the project director explaining why the student would be better served in Pre-K than in Kindergarten.
    • A letter from the family requesting that their child repeat Pre-K.
    • A written summary describing special education referrals, services the child is receiving, evaluations conducted, etc. (Actual documents should not be submitted with the summary. If additional documents are needed, the program will contact the family for permission to release them.)
    • Supporting documentation, such as:
      • Work Sampling Online (WSO) information
      • Developmental Checklist
      • Narrative Summary
      • Teacher’s recommendation and/or doctor’s recommendation
      • Interventions during the Pre-K program year.

    Submitting a request does not guarantee approval. Note: Placement of students with special needs must be determined based on the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) and comply with existing laws and regulations.

    Required Documents

    1. Proof of birth (Your child must be four years old on or before September 1, 2025)

    • Original certified birth certificate or passport

    2. Proof of legal guardianship (If applicable)

    • Only required if your name is not on the child's birth certificate

    3. Parent/Guardian proof of identification

    • Valid state or government issued photo ID, such as a Georgia Driver’s license

    4. Proof of Parent/Guardian Georgia Residency 

    • Mortgage, deed or lease/rental agreement in your name, AND a Georgia Power bill in your name; (All other utility bills are not accepted) Georgia Power bill must be dated within 30 days of your enrollment date.

    **If you are living with someone, and you do not have a lease, mortgage or deed AND Georgia Power bill in your name, you must submit the following: 

    • A signed and notarized Affidavit of Residency form
    • A valid lease/mortgage statement or deed in the owners or primary renters' name
    • A Georgia Power Bill in the owners or primary renters name current within the last 30 days
    • Three forms of mail in the parents name showing the property address of the homeowner.  

    5. Child’s original Social Security Card OR “Waiver”

    • If a waiver is needed, you can access it here.

    6. Proof of income (for Pre-K sites with a Head Start partnership ONLY) Review if the site(s) that you are interested in is a Head Start partnership site.  If both parents live within the same household, proof of income is required for each parent.

    • 2024 W2 or 1040 tax return, 2025 SSI/TANF/SNAP Award or Determination Letter (must show monthly payment).
      • If in 2024 you did not work or file taxes, complete and submit a non-income declaration form found here .

    7. Child’s Health Insurance card (Peachcare, Medicaid, or Private insurance)
     
    8. Proof of food stamps and/or TANF (If applicable)
     
    9. Immunization Certificate (3231) 
     
    10. Vision, Hearing, and Dental Screening Certificate (3300)

    Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit Form 3231 and Form 3300 (Items 9 and 10 listed above) during the lottery application process, as students may be withdrawn from school if these documents are not received. However, most pediatricians will not complete Form 3300 until the child turns four years old. To accommodate this, all applicants are given a deadline of September 1 to submit these forms. Waiting to upload medical information will not affect your lottery application.  

     

    If you have questions, please contact the Office of Early Learning at 404-802-3640, prekinfo@atlantapublicschools.us or follow us on Twitter at APS_ OEL.