Pre-K students must be potty-trained and turn 4 years old by September 30th. Students must also reside in the Columbus City School District.

Columbus City Schools is currently offering our Pre-K program tuition-waived. 

Transportation is not provided for Early Childhood Education students unless your child has an IEP (Individualized Education Plan).

If your child has an IEP, initial transportation arrangements and changes are made through the Special Needs Preschool Office by calling 614-365-5204.

No. Due to limited seats, students must be 4 years old by September 30th to enroll in typical Pre-K.

If your child will be 3 years old by September 30th and you suspect a disability, please contact the Special Needs Preschool Office at 614-365-5204.

If your child will be 5 years old by September 30th, your child is not eligible for Pre-K but will be eligible for kindergarten. 

Students must attend school on time every day Monday - Friday. Unexcused absences may result in a withdrawal from the program.

Classrooms follow a full day schedule, generally from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  ECE students may participate in the breakfast program at their school which typically begins at 8:30 a.m.

For children identified as having special needs, half day classes are available. The morning half day schedule is 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The afternoon half day schedule is 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Breakfast, lunch, and snack are served every day. Breakfast typically begins at 8:30 a.m.

Some schools have a specific dress code or uniform policy. Where this is the case, Pre-K families are to adhere to those codes. For schools without a specific dress code, please dress your child in casual, comfortable play clothes. They will participate in many active and “messy” activities.

• Dress your child appropriately for the season and weather. The children go outside daily, if the weather is above 20 degrees. Please remember to bring hats and gloves and appropriate footwear for your children.
• For safety reasons, we ask that you not allow your child to wear open-toes or open-back shoes.
• Consistent with the Columbus City Schools dress code, students are not permitted to wear clothing with bare shoulders or bare midriffs, and pants must be worn around the waist.

Please use the following link to see if your school has an established uniform policy: Dress Codes

Please visit the ECE Family Engagement webpage for more information regarding exciting Pre-K events, calendars, and additional resources:

ECE Family Engagement

Families must submit an online registration and upload the necessary documents by visiting www.ccsoh.us/enroll.

** Income verification and the Eligibility Screening Tool are also required for Pre-K registrations.**

If you require assistance in completing the online registration or need access to a computer, please call the appropriate number below to schedule On-Site Enrollment Assistance.

English - 614-365-4011

All Other Languages - 614-365-8802

Pre-K Enrollment Guide

Please contact Central Enrollment at centralenrollment@columbus.k12.oh.us. 

No. Our program is grant-funded, and we follow Federal Title Fund guidelines. Sibling enrollment does not guarantee a Pre-K seat.

The Priority Enrollment period is from April to the beginning of July and follows Federal Title Fund guidelines. If your child qualifies for Priority Enrollment and there is space at your chosen school, you will receive an offer for enrollment in your parent portal.

If your child does not qualify, you will be assigned a waitlist number. Once the Priority Enrollment period ends, you will receive an offer for enrollment if there is availability at your chosen school. Please check our webpage for the Priority Enrollment end date.

Students/families who meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Foster care youth
• Families who receive SNAP benefits (food stamps)
• Families who are in temporary housing (homeless)
• English-language learners

Federal Title Fund guidelines also include priority enrollment for students who meet both factors:

• Students with challenges in literacy and language (information is collected through an online parent survey)
• Students with challenges in social and emotional behavior (information is collected through an online parent survey)

Pre-K is open to ALL qualifying students, not just those who meet criteria for Priority Enrollment.

Families make their Pre-K school selections in the Parent Portal after Central Enrollment has processed the online registration. Families can select up to 3 schools at a time. Selections do not have to include the school of home address. Please keep in mind that transportation is not provided for Pre-K.

To view a full list and map of Pre-K locations, please visit: www.ccsoh.us/Page/2210.

For kindergarten, students will be enrolled in the school assigned to their home address. The Find Your School link can be used to discover which school is assigned to your address.

Please contact Parent Portal Access at 380-997-7245 or parentportalaccess@columbus.k12.oh.us. 

You can also find more information by visiting: www.ccsoh.us/Page/2437

Please log into your Parent Portal and navigate to the Pre-K Pre-Enrollment link. 

Parent Portal Webpage

For each school selection made, families can view waitlist numbers or enrollment offers. Enrollment offers are automatically declined if they are not accepted within 48 hours. Families should monitor their email for notifications and continue to check their Parent Portal.

*School selections can be changed any time before an enrollment offer is accepted.

If your child starts school on the first day of the school year, teachers will contact families to schedule Pre-K Orientation after they return from summer break. 

If your child starts school in the middle of the school year, please call the school to confirm your child’s start date.

**The medical must be submitted before your child can attend class.**

Medical Form

Please also be sure to complete the Pre-K Packet.

The Pre-K Packet is also available in additional languages:

Arabic Pre-K Packet

French Pre-K Packet

Nepali Pre-K Packet

Somali Pre-K Packet

Spanish Pre-K Packet

No. If enrolled in a lottery school and you want your child to attend the same school for kindergarten, you will need to participate in the lottery process. More information about School Choice can be found by visiting the links below:

School Choice: www.ccsoh.us/schoolchoice

School Choice - General Information: www.ccsoh.us/Page/1181

Please contact 614-365-7459 or email schoolchoice@columbus.k12.oh.us if you have additional School Choice/ Lottery questions for grades K-12.

Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy

Columbus Africentric

Duxberry Park

Ecole Kenwood French Immersion

Oakland Park