Overview

The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is honored to offer 126 lottery funded Georgia Pre-Kindergarten Program classes in 76 sites throughout the district. The Pre-Kindergarten program is funded by the Georgia State Lottery, governed by Bright from the Start. The DCSD Pre-K program is an age appropriate instructional program that prepares students for a successful transition to kindergarten and beyond. In order for a child to be school ready, it means they are socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively prepared for success in kindergarten.

The DeKalb School District is privileged to offer 21 Pre-K3 programs at 11 sites throughout the District that is also lottery based. The PreK3 program addresses the readiness gap which positively impacts the achievement gap. It also accelerates cognitive and language development in young children.

The DeKalb County School District’s Pre-Kindergarten Programs helps children become independent, self-confident, enthusiastic learners. Participation in the programs encourages children to develop good habits and daily routines. It encourages teachers to adopt child centered instructional practices based on the interests and the skill levels of each child.

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Items from Home to Enrich the Pre-K Classroom

Pre-K Waiting Pool Application

Required Documents

  1. Proof of birth (Your child must be four years old on or between September 2, 2024 through September 1, 2025 or your child must be 3 years old on or between September 2, 2024- September 1, 2025)
    • Original certified birth certificate, Hospital Record of Live Birth, Green Card, Pink Card or Federal I-94 Card; or child’s passport (Copies of these documents are not accepted)
  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, or a valid U.S. passport ID
  4. Proof of Parent/Guardian Georgia Residency
    • Mortgage or lease/rental agreement in your name, OR an electric, gas, or water bill in your name; (Cable and phone bills are not acceptable)
      **If you are living with someone and you do not have a lease, mortgage or utility bill in your name, you must submit the following: A signed and notarized Affidavit of Residency AND a lease/mortgage statement and utility bill in the name of the person that you are living with AND a form of mail in the name of the child’s guardian showing a matching address to the affidavit. For a copy of the affidavit of residency form** please CLICK HERE.
  5. Child’s original Social Security Card OR “Waiver”
    • If a waiver is needed, it will be provided to you during the enrollment session
  6. Category I proof, if applicable (Copy of only 1: Foster Care, CAPS, Food Stamps, Medicaid, SSI or TANIF)
  7. Immunization Certificate (3231) or a notarized Affidavit of Religious Objections to Immunization (DPH Form 2208) is presented
  8. Vision, Hearing, Nutrition, and Dental Screening Certificate (3300)

**Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

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2025—2026 Pre-K (3&4) Programs Online Pre-Lottery Participants

This section provides information to parents/guardians who are interested in completing the application process for the 2025-2026 Pre-K (3&4) online lottery. Be sure to read all remaining sections in this document for next steps.

To be eligible for the 2025-2026 school year, your child’s date of birth should be on or between the following dates: September 2, 2020-September 1, 2021 for Pre-K4 and September 2, 2021-September 1, 2022 for Pre-K3.

Due to Coralwood Center, the Early Learning Center, and Pre-K3 expansion classes being specialized programs that fall under the scope of the Department of Early Learning and Pre-K Programs, students will have the option to articulate to Pre-K at their current site via program articulation.  Parents will have the option of completing an Intent to Return form to remain at their current location.  Failure to complete the Intent to Return form will forfeit your child’s Pre-K4 seat at their current location for the upcoming school year.  Parents who opt out to return for the Pre-K4 instructional experience at their child’s current location are not guaranteed a seat in the upcoming lottery at their zoned home school. Parents who choose this option will have to apply for their zoned school’s lottery for Pre-K4.  All current Pre-K3 parents who opt out or sign the Intent to Return form must complete and application for submission into the lottery.

No. If your home address is not zoned for DeKalb County School District, you are not eligible to participate. If you are unsure if your address is zoned for DCSD, please access the School Locator to verify your address.

No. You may apply for either a theme school, Coralwood, and/or the Early Learning Center if applicable, or your home school. If you choose to apply for a theme school, Coralwood, or the Early Learning Center and you are not selected, you will automatically be placed on the waitlist.

To be eligible for the 2025-2026 school year as a Pre-K4 student, your child must have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that identifies the need to spend their Kindergarten year in an inclusion (co-taught) Pre-K4 classroom.

Your child is expected to be able to take care of self-help tasks such as dressing, undressing, and toilet needs. Children should be potty trained prior to entering Pre-K (3&4). Parents will be called should an accident occur and will be required to come to school to change their child. Students are not allowed to wear pull-ups to school unless outlined as a part of Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan and the child is in a collaborative class, so he/she can be assisted by a special needs’ teacher/aide.

No. As a DCSD employee you must go through the same lottery process as everyone else. However, there are specific stipulations before employees can enter the Pre-K (3&4) lottery. Please contact your school principal or the Department of Early Learning and Pre-K Programs for the DeKalb Pre-K (3&4) Lottery Employee Participation Memo.

If an applicant with a current Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is selected to attend a Bright from the Start (BFTS) general education Pre-K4 classroom, the applicant may possibly be moved to a BFTS inclusion classroom based on the student’s individual needs. NOTE: Theme schools do not house BFTS inclusion classrooms

No. While Pre-K (3&4) lottery students are selected in a random lottery selection process, students with Individual Education Plans (IEP) receive a special education placement as part of an IEP team decision that considers the unique, individual needs, student supports, and services required by the student’s IEP. Before entering the Pre-K (3&4) lottery, if you have questions about the early childhood setting most appropriate to address your child’s needs, it is recommended that you contact your child’s IEP case manager, Lead teacher for Special Education or the Department of Exceptional Education @ https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/exceptional-education

Proof of birth, proof of legal guardianship (if parent/guardian name is not on the birth certificate), parent/guardian proof of identification, and proof of residency. A comprehensive list of all required documents, with detailed information, can be found by clicking on the “Required Documents” button or on the following link https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/pre-k/

After reading the remainder of this document in its entirety and when the lottery application window is opened, click the “Apply Now” button found in the link below.  This will take you to the website where you will begin the Pre-K (3&4) lottery application.  On the website welcome page, you will find directions to help you with the application process.  https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/pre-k/

2025-2026 Pre-K (3&4) Online Lottery Participants

This section provides information to parents/guardians who participated in the 2025-2026 online lottery process and were notified of receiving a seat or placed on the waitlist.   Be sure to read the last section titled, Important Information for All.

If your child was awarded a seat in the lottery and you wish to accept the seat, please click the accept button, located on your parent dashboard, within 14 days. If you choose to decline the seat, please click the decline button within 14 days. The school may require a document to be resent if it was unreadable or out of date. If you are a returning DCSD parent with a child already enrolled in the district, you will complete your registration process using your parent dashboard. Please contact your local school’s registrar for assistance, if needed. You will complete your “New Student” online registration process using the DeKalb County Online Registration portal found at  https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/online-registration/

Any student who was not selected for a lottery seat is automatically placed on the waitlist. Please log into your Parent Dashboard to obtain your waitlist number. As seats are declined or forfeited, the school will notify the next family on the waitlist.  At that time, you will be required to complete the next steps to secure your child’s seat. The school will identify the registration designee and reach out to the parent/guardian with instructions for the documents to be sent electronically via email.

New Applicants Who Did Not Participate in the 2025-2026 Pre-K (3&4) Online Lottery

This section provides information to parents/guardians who were not able to participate in the 2025-2026 Pre-K (3&4) online lottery process. Be sure to read the last section titled, Important Information for All.

Begin by reaching out to the school to see if there is an available seat. If there is an open seat, please proceed to the next question.  If they do not have available seats, you are welcome to fill out a waitlist application and send both the application and the child’s birth certificate electronically via email to the school’s registration designee. If you are not sure who the school’s registration designee is, please contact the school. The waitlist application can be found at the bottom of the overview tab on the district Pre-K website. www.dekalbschoolsga.org/pre–k.

Complete the 2025-2026 New Student Registration Application virtually by clicking on the following link https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/online–registration/new–students/.  If you are a returning DCSD parent with a child already enrolled in the district, you will complete your registration process using your parent dashboard. Please contact your local school’s registrar for assistance, if needed.

A comprehensive list of all required documents can be found by clicking on the “Required Documents” tab found on the following link  https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/pre–k/.

Your local school will contact you for next steps.

Important Information for All

DCSD policy states that a child must have their Health Immunization form 3231 on file within 30 days of the child starting school or the expiration date. Please email your school if you run into difficulty with obtaining and sending this document electronically. If the form is not provided within 30 days after the first day of school, the child will not be able to return to class without the form or proof of an appointment. The child will not be able to return after the appointment without an updated form.  Should the child be absent for 10 consecutive days due to this form not being provided the child’s seat in Pre-K (3&4) will be forfeited.

DCSD policy states that this form must be on file within 90 days of the child starting school or the expiration date. Please email your school if you run into difficulty with obtaining and sending this document electronically. If the form is not provided within 90 days after the first day of school, the child will not be able to return to class which may result in the child being withdrawn from the program.

Yes, there is an attendance policy for Pre-K (3&4) students. Students are expected to participate and attend the full instructional day during the entire school year. If a child is absent or late ten consecutive days without a medical excuse, the child will be withdrawn from the class per via the district’s attendance protocols and the guidelines established by Bright from the Start. Additionally, the counselor and/or social worker will contact parents/guardians if a child has a pattern of being chronically late or leaving school early.

Yes, parents/guardians are expected to participate in all scheduled parent/guardian meetings and conferences at least twice a year and more often if necessary. The school and/or Pre-K (3&4) teacher will notify you when the meeting/conference times occur and provide you with the scheduled day and time to meet.  These activities will last approximately one hour.

What if I have a question that has not been addressed in the FAQ?

Feel free to contact the Department of Early Learning and Pre-K programs at PreKRecords@dekalbschoolsga.org

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