How old does my child have to be to attend school?

Under Florida law, a child must be 5 years old on or before September 1 to enter kindergarten that year. To enter first grade, a child must be 6 on or before September 1 and must have attended kindergarten.

How do I start registering my child for school?

It depends on whether your family and/or your child is new to Alachua County Public Schools.

• If you already have a child enrolled in an ACPS school but have another student entering the district, you can enroll the new student through your Skyward Family Access account under New Student Online Enrollment. If you do not have a Family Access Account, you can request one at familyaccessrequest@gm.sbac.edu.
  
  
• If your family is new to Alachua County Public Schools, is returning to the district after a gap in enrollment or if your student has been enrolled in a charter, private, homeschool or other program that is not part of the Alachua County Public Schools system, you should use the New Student Online Enrollment application. This application will allow you to create a temporary online account so you can enroll your child.
  
  Additional information for new/returning or current families enrolling a new student is available through our Parent Guide.
  
  

What documents do I need to register my child?

After completing the online enrollment form, you will need to bring the following items to your child’s zoned school:

Two documents showing proof of residence: This may be a rental or lease agreement, utility bill, deed, sales agreement or property tax bill.

Health forms: Under state law, incoming kindergarten students and other students who are new to a Florida public school are required to have certain health-related documents. They include:

• Proof of a physical exam completed and signed by a health care provider licensed to perform physical exams in the United States within a year before enrollment -- Florida Department of Health Form 3040 is the recommended document, but it is not required. A form signed by the licensed health care provider that includes all of the components listed in Form 3040 is also acceptable.
  
  
• Proof of required immunizations — The Florida Certification of Immunization Form 680 is required for entry into a Florida school. The form must be provided by a licensed Florida doctor, advanced practice registered nurse or a Florida county health department. School nurses CANNOT provide this form.

The required immunizations are as follows:

For Pre-School Entry (age-appropriate doses)

• DTaP (Diptheria-Tentanus-Pertussis)
• IPV (Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine)
• MMR (Measles-Mumps-Rubella)
• Varicella (chickenpox)
• Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B)
• Pneumococcal conjugate (PVC13)
• Hep B (Hepatitis B)

For Kindergarten-12th grade

• Four or five doses of DTaP
• Four or five doses of IPV
• Two doses of MMR
• Three doses of Hep B
• One dose of Tdap (Tetanus-Diptheria-Acellular Pertussis)
• Two doses of Varicella (Chickenpox)—not required if a health care provider documents the student has already had the disease

Additional Requirement for 7^th-graders (all children entering, attending or transferring to the 7^th grade)

• One dose of Tdap (Tetanus-Diptheria-Acellular Pertussis)

Proof of child’s name and age – A certified copy of a birth certificate or an ‘acceptable substitute’ is required by Florida law for students entering kindergarten. An acceptable substitute may be:

• Baptismal certificate showing date of birth and place of baptism AND a parent’s sworn affidavit
• Insurance policy on child which has been in force at least two years
• Bible record of child’s birth AND a parent’s sworn affidavit
• Passport or certificate of arrival in the United States showing age of child
• School record from at least four years prior, showing the child’s date of birth
• A parent’s sworn affidavit accompanied by a certificate of examination

School records -- Items such as withdrawal forms, standardized test scores and recent report cards will help the school place your child appropriately. If you don’t have these items, you can provide the school with the name of your child’s previous school so the records can be requested.

If your child has had any educational psychological testing, an IEP or 504, or a gifted education plan, please provide the documentation to the school when enrolling so the staff can make appropriate plans for your child’s coursework and special services.

Social Security Card – In keeping with Florida law, we request that you bring your child’s Social Security Card to the school. However, the card is NOT required for enrollment. Information about the state requirements on Social Security Cards is available here.

My child is already enrolled in the district, but we’ve moved to a new school zone. Do I need to do anything?

The process for current ACPS students who’ve moved within the county is much simpler than it is for new students/families. You just need to bring two proofs of your new residence and a copy of your photo ID to your new school to re-register your child.

How do I find out which school my child will attend?

When you submit your address in the New Student Online Enrollment application, the system will let you know what school your child is zoned to attend. You can also contact the Office of Student Assignment/Zoning at zoning@gm.sbac.edu or (352) 955-7700, provide your address and your child’s grade, and the staff will let you know the name and address of the zoned school.

When can I enroll my child?

You can enroll your child at any time when the school office is open. You are encouraged to contact your child’s school to request their office hours. A list of schools and their phone numbers is available here.

We strongly encourage families to enroll their children during the summer, well before the start of school (school calendars are available here) so that the schools can plan for the appropriate number of staff and any special services your child may need. Registering during the summer also limits your wait time and guarantees that your child and family will have a smooth start to the school year.

Schools are open Mondays through Thursdays most weeks during the summer. The only exceptions are federal/state holidays (Juneteenth and July 4^th).

What if I want my child to attend a school other than their zoned school?

You can request what’s called a zoning exception. Information and an application are available at www.sbac.edu/zoning. Zoning exceptions are granted based on specific criteria, typically some sort of hardship. They must be renewed annually and can be revoked at any time due to student disciplinary issues or excessive absences/tardies. Transportation to school is not provided for students on zoning exceptions.

Each spring during a specific time window, the district accepts applications for school choice/controlled open enrollment, meaning a family can request a different school for the next school year. If accepted, a student may remain at the new school until completing the final grade offered at that school. Transportation is not provided.

Who can I call for help or more information?

First contact your child’s zoned school for help or additional information about enrollment. A list of schools/centers and their addresses and phone numbers are available here.

If for some reason your child’s school can’t help you, you can contact the Office of Student Assignment at zoning@gm.sbac.edu or (352) 955-7700.