MADISON – Registration for pre-kindergarten in Madison City Schools is open, and parents or guardians need to complete registration for the 2022-2023 school year.

In one of his district updates, MCS Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols said registration for selection into MCS First Class Pre-Kindergarten will be available until the deadline of March 15. For pre-school, MCS offers First Class Pre-Kindergarten, Early Beginnings or HIPPY Pre-Kindergarten programs.

The ‘lottery’ drawing for available pre-K openings will be held on March 24.

The pre-registration process for First Class Pre-K involves four steps:

* Create only one account. Employees will delete duplicate accounts.

* Record the child’s and family’s information.

* Select sites for First Class Pre-K.

* In mid-April, families will receive email notification of enrollment status for selected sites.

To pre-register, visit prek.alaceed.alabama.gov.

To participate, each child must provide a birth certificate, which documents that he or she is four years old (and not yet five years old) on or before Sept. 1, 2022. Throughout enrollment, the child also must be an Alabama resident, which will be documented with proof of residence by, for example, a current utility bill or copy of a lease or mortgage.

Parents or guardians must complete all components of the online pre-registration form. Correct spelling and capitalization are especially important for names and addresses. Employees will record this information into MCS’ official database exactly as the form states.

In addition, each family must enter a valid email address to establish an account. If a family has multiple children eligible for Pre-K, only one family account is needed.

Submitting the form places a child in the random selection process for Alabama First Class Pre-K. If a child’s name is drawn for a slot in a program that a parent has selected, school employees will notify the family in mid-April. Children who are not selected will be placed on a waiting list for any future available spaces.

First Class Pre-K does not require a registration fee. A child will not be denied participation on basis of income, sex, race, color, national origin or disability.

With enrollment always on the increase, Madison City Schools needs more classrooms for pre-kindergarten. In mid-January, officials from the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education joined Nichols in a walking tour of the former old West Madison Elementary School.

“We were given the go-ahead on plans to renovate West Madison Elementary School for use as a Pre-Kindergarten Center,” Nichols said. “I’m excited that this historic school that has been such a vital part of Madison will continue to educate children.”

For assistance with the pre-registration application, contact Nichole Phillips by calling 256-824-8080 or emailing snphillips@madisoncity.k12.al.us.