Early Entrance to Kindergarten Process

Naperville Community Unit School District 203 has established procedures to allow for requests from parents/guardians for early entrance into kindergarten. These procedures are specifically for children who demonstrate strong readiness for kindergarten and whose fifth birthday falls after September 1 of the upcoming school year. Because these procedures exceed State of Illinois requirements, the decision by District 203 regarding any application for early entrance into kindergarten will be final. 

The application deadline for Early Entrance into Kindergarten has now passed for the 2026-2027 school year.

Procedures for Early Entrance into Kindergarten 

The child must reside within the Naperville 203 boundaries and have recent preschool experience taught by a teacher who is licensed to teach early childhood or elementary. The application process for early entrance to kindergarten opened February 1, 2026, and is now closed.

STEP 1: The parent/guardian must complete and submit the Application for Kindergarten Early Entrance by May 8, 2026.

STEP 2: The parent/guardian must have the current early childhood licensed preschool teacher complete and submit the Preschool Teacher Recommendation. The preschool teacher must submit the completed form directly to Learning Services by May 8, 2026. 

STEP 3: Proof of District 203 residency- Once the Application for Kindergarten Early Entrance is received, a confirmation email will be sent to the parent/guardian with details regarding the proof of residency process. This confirmation email will need to be presented to our Centralized Enrollment Office along with an original or certified copy of the student’s birth certificate and legal custody documents.

STEP 4:  Once residency is confirmed and all forms have been accepted, the child will be scheduled for a screening. As a component of screening, the parent/guardian will receive a
social/emotional learning checklist via email once residency is confirmed. A similar checklist will be emailed to the preschool teacher. Each checklist must be completed by May 29, 2026. Additional details about screening will be emailed to the parent/guardian in early June. 

STEP 5: Screening will take place at a District 203 school in June 2026. The screening will includean observation and assessment of the following: social interaction, attention and engagement, and gross/fine motor, speech and language, reading, and math skills. Results of the screening and decision for eligibility to attend D203 kindergarten in the 2026-2027 school year will be emailed to parents within one week of the screening.

Decisions regarding eligibility for early entrance to kindergarten will be final.

Frequently Asked Questions