Kindergarten Registration
District 97 kindergarten registration is conducted each year via our online registration system. In order to register your child, you must be the custodial parent/guardian and currently reside in Oak Park. Students who are registering for kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year must be at least 5 years old and must be born on or before Sept. 1, 2019.
New Student and Kindergarten Registration Steps:
- First, gather all required documents (a list has been provided for you below).
- Next:
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If you are registering for the 2024-25 school year, please use this link to register your new and/or kindergarten student.
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- Continue in InfoSnap by completing the online registration forms and uploading all your documents. Once you’re finished just click "submit."
- After you have completed your online registration you should receive an approval email from the district.
- Lastly, your school will reach out closer to the start of the new year with more information.
During the school year, it generally takes two business days for registration to be approved and students to be placed in classes as long as parents have uploaded all of their required documents. However, during our annual spring and summer registration, the approval process may take two to four weeks after the online information has been submitted. We encourage parents to complete registration as soon as possible.
*Please note, all residency documents uploaded MUST have the residents' Oak Park address.
Required Documents for New Registrations
- Official certified birth certificate (long form)
- NOTE: Hospital birth certificates are not accepted
- A current, unexpired, government-issued photo ID (Driver’s license, State ID, Passport, Permanent Resident Card, U.S. Military ID, Consular ID, etc) from the parent/guardian registering their child
- Main proof of residency (lease or home ownership document) and three supporting documents
- For a complete list of required residency documents, please visit https://www.op97.org/hr/residency-requirements
- Custody documents (if applicable)
- Most recent Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) health physical exam and immunizations
- These documents must be dated within the year of the first day of school for students entering kindergarten, sixth grade, or a public Illinois school for the first time. You will have until the first day of school to produce these documents. For more information, please review our Health Requirements for Kindergarten Students.
- If you are enrolling a student who is not your biological child, please download the Non-Parent Affidavit form and include it with your required residency documents.
- If you are homeless, please reach out to Mayra Delgado 708-524-3131 and refer to the Students in Temporary Living Situation page.
*Please note, all residency documents uploaded MUST have the residents' Oak Park address.
Assessments for Incoming Kindergarteners
All incoming kindergarteners are required to complete the Ages and Stages Social-Emotional Questionnaire (ASQ) as part of the registration process. This screening helps provide the district with a more complete picture of the child so that we are able to meet their academic, social and emotional needs during the school year. For more information, please visit https://www.op97.org/student-and-administrative-services/incoming-kindergarten-information.
Early Admission to Kindergarten
According to the Illinois School Code, "Early entrance to kindergarten means the admission of a student to kindergarten who will not yet be 5 years old by September 1 of that school year." For more information about the requirements and process for early admission to kindergarten, please visit https://www.op97.org/hr/early-kindergarten-and-first-grade-admission.
Board Policy 7:50: (School Admissions and Student Transfers To and From Non-District Schools)
In accordance with Board Policy 7:50, all students who are 5 years old on or before September 1, 2024, will be enrolled into kindergarten and all students who are 6 years old on or before September 1, 2024, will be enrolled into first grade. Therefore, if you have a student who will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2024, and eligible to enroll in kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year, and you chose not to enroll your student in District 97 for kindergarten that school year, your student will be enrolled in first grade for the 2025-26 school year.
Families can request a half day kindergarten program by reaching out via Let's Talk.