Board Policy 5150.1 - Adopted January 30, 2024

Enrollment in Ithaca’s Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) classrooms is offered to children who will be four (4) years old on or before December 1 of that school year, and who live within the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) boundaries. To ensure families have an equal opportunity for our Universal Pre-K (UPK) program, there will be a lottery drawing held each year for acceptance. 

The ICSD Pre-K program also offers Head Start seats for children. Head Start programming offers services to families whose income is at or below the federal poverty guidelines. Head Start supports the whole family, not just the children enrolled in the program. 

Parents/guardians must complete the ICSD Pre-K application. For those who wish to be considered for Head Start services/supports, parents/guardians must also submit documentation to verify income level. Acceptable documents for income verification include, but are not limited to: 1040, W-2, public assistance documents, unemployment documents, self attestations claiming no income, written and signed statements from employers, foster care documentation, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) documentation, and/or paycheck stubs. The district will work with families who have difficulty presenting verification documents.

The UPK lottery drawing is held during the last week in June and accepted students are notified by mail. If the UPK program fills up before all names are pulled from the lottery, the remaining students will be placed on a waitlist and parents/guardians will be notified if a spot becomes available. Registrations taken after the lottery period will be placed on a waitlist and parents/guardians will be notified if a spot becomes available.

All enrollment through Preschool Special Education Program 9160 (Special Class Integrated Setting) occurs through the Committee on Preschool Special Education, and is exempt from this process.