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Kindergarten Roundup / Enrollment
The dates and times are listed below. Please register at your zoned school. If you are new to Knox County, have moved since the roundup, or missed the roundup, please contact your zoned school.
The first two weeks of school will be a staggered schedule for Kindergarten students. Students will attend a half-day each week (with dismissal at 12:00 noon) beginning on August 8, 2023 . The first full day for Kindergarten will be on Tuesday, August 22, 2023. The school will notify parents either by letter or phone call before the school year begins regarding their child's staggered day schedule.
If you are not able to attend Kindergarten Roundup, you can still enroll by going by your zoned school to pick up enrollment information.
Kindergarten Enrollment Age Requirements
Children should be five by August 15 to enter school for the upcoming school year.
Early Entry for Students Turning Five After August 15
If a child has a birth date after August 15 and the parent would like Knox County Schools to consider early entry, they would follow these steps:
- The parent should go to their zone school and ask for the “Parent Referral to the S-Team”.
- The parent will fill out the “Parent Referral to the S-Team” and return it to the principal of the zoned school. The school will schedule a Support Team Meeting with the parent, the principal, a Kindergarten teacher representative, and the school psychologist to review the “Parent Referral to the S-Team”.
- The team may recommend that the school psychologist conduct an evaluation for eligibility of the intellectually gifted criteria.
- The Individual Education Plan (IEP) Team may request permission for an evaluation by the school psychologist. (The IEP Team includes the parent(s), the school principal, a Kindergarten teacher representative, and the school psychologist.)
- At the completion of the testing, the Individual Education Plan (IEP) Team will reconvene to review the testing and make a decision regarding giftedness, and the need for early entry.
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New Enrollment in Knox County Schools
Welcome! We are pleased to have you as a new member of our community.
If you are new to Knox County and your child has never attended school (just starting Kindergarten), please see the information about registering for Kindergarten and for Kindergarten roundup.
Kindergarten is a full day program meaning that school will start at 7:45 and dismiss at 2:45 each day.
How do I enroll my child?
A parent or legal guardian must enroll the student at the zoned school. If you do not know the school to which you are zoned, use this link https://www.knoxschools.org/domain/1289 to find your school zone. Complete the Enrollment and Emergency Forms and any other school specific paperwork. Individual schools may have additional required paperwork, enrollment packets can be picked up at your zoned school. The enrollment packet and any additional information (as noted below) must be printed and turned in. No information will be accepted by email.
You will need the following information to enroll:
- Proof of Birth - Proof of birth may take many forms. Examples include but are not limited to the following:
- Birth Certificate - issued by an government
- Passport issued by any nation (translated)
- Immigration documentation
- Decree of adoption or other records issued by a court
The form that proof of birth takes is an area of parental discretion, and schools will accept appropriate documentation as offered. No one form of documentation is required or preferred over another.
- Proof of up-to-date immunizations and of a health/physical examination, recorded on a Tennessee Child Health Record completed by a medical provider or a County Health Department. The form to be completed may be obtained from a medical provider or from the Health Department. The health/physical examination must have been completed within the past year. No student will be enrolled or allowed to attend school without a completed Tennessee School Immunization Certificate.
- Current Proof of Residence - Knox County Schools requires one of the following: a) Utility Bill, b) Lease Agreement, c) in cases where the utilities and/or lease agreement is in the name of a person other than the parent/guardian, the person listed must provide the utility bill and/or lease agreement and also provide a notarized letter stating that the parent/guardian and children are living at that address.
What about my child's previous school records?You will need to provide the school with the name and address of the child's previous school and the new school will send a request for your child's records.
- Proof of Birth - Proof of birth may take many forms. Examples include but are not limited to the following:
Moving between schools...
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Moving From One Knox County School to Another
Parents must enroll their children at their zoned school. In the event you have moved out of your current school's zone into another Knox County School zone, you should:
- Notify your old school that your child will be moving to another Knox County School zone due to a residence change.
- Go to your new zoned school and complete the Enrollment/Emergency Form and other school specific paperwork. You will need to take additional information with you when you enroll at the school. You will need the following:
- Proof of Residence (Example: Lease, Mortgage, Current Electric Service bill)
- Please note that to attend a school other than the school zone in which you live requires a transfer.
How would I request a transfer?
Knox County Schools have specific zones set up for school attendance. Knox County students must attend the school in the zone where their legal parents/guardians reside. If a parent would like the child(ren) to attend a school outside his or her zone, a transfer must be granted. An approved transfer is valid through terminal grade of the school, (K-5, 6-8, 9-12). If approved, parents will be responsible for transportation. For more information visit the Transfer Department website.
Immunizations
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Tennessee Department of Health immunization requirements for students
Who's affected:
New students to KCS
Kindergarterners7th GradersAnyone who is not current on immunizations The Tennessee Department of Health Immunization Certificate is required for entry into school. The form is available from your medical provider or local health department.
All vaccinations should be up-to-date and documented on the form prior to enrolling in Pre-school, Kindergarten, Seventh grade or as a new student entering Knox County Schools.
Students without the required immunizations and correct certificate may not attend school. This includes grades pre-school, Kindergarten, seventh grader and new students to KCS. Parents should contact the Knox County Health Department at (865) 215-5150 or their primary care physician for the form.Here are the required immunizations:Pre-School requirements:
- DTaP or DT
- Hepatitis B (HBV)
- Poliomyelitis (IPV or OPV)
- H.influenzae (HiB): age younger than 5 years only
- Varicella (Chickenpox)
- Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR)
- Pnuemococcal (PCV): age younger than 5 years only
- Hepatitis A
Kindergarten requirements:
- DTaP or DT
- Polio (IPV or OPV): (final dose on or after the 4th birthday)
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella (2 doses of each, usually given together as MMR)
- Varicella (Chickenpox): 2 doses or history of disease
- Hepatitis B (HBV)
- Hepatitis A (2 doses)
Seventh grade requirements:
- Tetanus-diptheria-pertusis booster (Tdap)
- Verification of immunity to varicella (2 doses or history of disease)
New student requirement:
- Tetanus-diptheria-pertusis booster (Tdap) or DT
- Hepatitis B (HBV)
- Polio (IPV or OPV): final dose on or after the 4th birthday
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)
- Varicella (Chickenpox): 2 doses or history of disease
Children with medical exemptions must provide documentation from their medical provider. Religious exemptions require a signed statement by the parent/guardian that vaccination(s) conflict with their religious tenets or practices.For additional information, please contact the Knox County Health Department at (865) 215-5150 or Knox County Schools Health Services at (865) 594-3735.