Atlanta Public Schools Office of Early Learning

The Pre-K lottery application for the 2020-2021 school year was available on January 6, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.-February 12, 2020 at 11:59 p.m.  The lottery drawing will be held on February 24, 2020.   Results from the drawing are emailed to applicants after a verification process is complete.  Pending official verification, the release of the lottery results could be delayed.  If you are interested in participating in our program, but have missed the lottery application acceptance period, we will begin accepting waiting list applications on March 2, 2020 in an attempt to fill any vacancies that remain after the lottery drawing and to generate waiting lists.  Seats will be filled on a first-come first-serve basis.  If a seat becomes available and you are next in line to receive a seat, you will be contacted by phone.  

Program Requirements

• Child must turn four years old by September 1, 2020
• Child must live within the Atlanta Public Schools' attendance zone 
• All APS employees are eligible to apply 
• If you are the parent of twins, triplets, etc., you are required to submit one application per child. Before the lottery drawing takes place, each application will be linked to ensure that they are placed at the same site
• Applicants must have a valid email address to apply

Process

Applicants can access our online lottery application by visiting www.enrollearlyatl.com from January 6th-February 12th. It will take approximately 30 minutes to complete the application. If you are unable to complete the application in one sitting, you can save your information and return later, but must submit by February 12th at 11:59 p.m.  Lottery applications will NOT be accepted after February 12th at 11:59 p.m. for any reason.  

When completing the application, applicants will be allowed to select a maximum of three different Pre-K sites and should list them in order of preference.  Selecting three sites is optional.  If you are only interested in one or two sites, leave the other site selection fields blank.  Although not mandatory, we strongly encourage you to select your child's zoned school as your first choice.  Acceptance into your zoned school creates an easy transition to kindergarten.  In addition, school bus transportation services will only be offered to your child if they are accepted into their zoned school and live more than 1 mile away from the school. 

Once the lottery results have been verified, each applicant will receive an email informing them of the results.  If your child is accepted, your email will contain an invitation to enroll and a list of documentation that you are required to submit.  To ensure that you are prepared for enrollment, required documents are listed below.  If your child is not accepted, he or she will be placed on the waiting list for your first choice only.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the age requirement for a student to enroll into Pre-K? 

        To be eligible for the 2020-2021 school year, your child's date of birth should be on or between the following dates:                  September 2, 2015-September 1, 2016

If my child lives outside of the Atlanta Public Schools' attendance zone, is he/she eligible to participate in the Pre-K program?       

        No.  If your home address is not zoned for Atlanta Public Schools, you are not eligible to participate. If you are unsure if your address is zoned for APS Click Here to verify.

If I am an APS employee and do not live within the APS attendance zone, is my child eligible to participate?

Yes. Proof of employment such as a badge or check stub is required.

If my child is eligible for Kindergarten, but did not participate in a state funded Pre-K program, are they still eligible to enroll into Pre-K?

        Yes. Please contact the Office of Early Learning at 404-802-3640 for more information. 

Required Documents

1. Proof of birth (Your child must be four years old on or before September 1, 2020)  

• Original certified birth certificate; or child’s passport (Copies of these documents are not accepted)

2. Proof of legal guardianship (If applicable) 

•    Only required if your name is not on the child's birth certificate 

• Valid state or government issued photo ID, such as a Georgia Driver’s license, or a valid  U.S. passport ID

4. Proof of Parent/Guardian Georgia Residency 

• Mortgage or lease/rental agreement in your name, OR an electric, gas, or water bill in your name; (Cable and phone bills are not acceptable) Bills must be dated within 30 days of your enrollment date.

**If you are living with someone and you do not have a lease, mortgage or utility bill in your name, you must submit the following:  A signed and notarized Affidavit of Residency AND a lease/mortgage statement or utility bill in the name of the person that you are living with AND 3 forms of mail in the name of the child’s guardian showing a matching address to the affidavit. For a copy of the affidavit of residency form, please CLICK HERE.  
 
5. Child’s original Social Security Card OR “Waiver”

•  If a waiver is needed, it will be provided to you during the enrollment session

6. Proof of income (for Pre-K sites with a Head Start partnership ONLY) Click the link below to see if the site(s) that you are interested in is a Head Start partnership site: http://www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/Page/35082

• W2, tax return, SSI income, child support, TANF, or a non-income declaration form
  • If you did not have any income for the previous year, a non-income declaration form will be provided to you during your enrollment session.

7. Child’s Peachcare card, Medicaid card, or health insurance card
 
8. Proof of food stamps and/or TANF (If applicable)
 
9. Immunization Certificate (3231) 
 
10. Vision, Hearing, and Dental Screening Certificate (3300)
 
If you have questions, please contact the Office of Early Learning at 404-802-3640, prekinfo@atlantapublicschools.us or follow us on Twitter at APS_ OEL.