Eligibility and Enrollment

Eligibility

• Pre-K All children served must have reached their fourth (4th) birthday by September 1st of the current calendar year.
• Seventy percent (70%) of the children served must live within the attendance zone of the school with a PreK.
• Children starting at age three and up to entry into kindergarten who have Individualized Education Plans (IEP) services are eligible to receive their services within an Albuquerque Public School classroom as agreed upon by the IEP team.

Immigrant Students Regardless of Documented Status

Neither the Constitution of the State of New Mexico nor New Mexico State law establishes citizenship as a requirement for school age children to attend public school in New Mexico. The United States Supreme Court has also ruled that citizenship status cannot be used to deny public school admission to school age children. Schools shall not:

• Deny admission to a school age child on the basis of known, or suspected, undocumented status.
• Engage in any practice to deter or discourage the right of a student to attend public school.
• Require students or parents/legal guardians to disclose or document their immigration status or make inquiries that would expose their undocumented status.
• Require Social Security numbers.

Recruitment and Enrollment

Albuquerque Public Schools is in its fourteenth year with the New Mexico Pre-K grant. We open enrollment to 4-year olds in the Spring of the year prior to starting a Pre-K program. We do not discriminate when selecting student participants based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin nor any other unique demographics of which our community’s children represent. Students must live in the attendance zone of the school with a Pre-K. However if space in the classroom is full, the student can attend another school that has openings.

Details of enrollment can be found on marquees at local Pre-K elementary schools as available. Notifications are posted and can be found on Pre-K elementary school website.

If you would like information regarding Pre-K for your child:

• Please visit the Early Childhood website on APS.edu. You will be contacted via SchoolMessenger from your local elementary school.
• We also post information to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
• In addition, interested parents may call APS Early Childhood office between the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. or leave a message anytime at (505) 253-0320.

Collaboration efforts between Albuquerque Public Schools Pre-K and other local early learning providers ensure children receive the educational services that meet their needs. APS Pre-K, YDI: Head Start/Early Start, City of Albuquerque Child Development Center, CFYD, along with several private day care centers share the responsibility of locating age appropriate children in our community for participation in an effective early learning educational program.

Selection/Prioritization

There are conditions where one child is selected instead of another for participating in an Albuquerque Public Schools Pre-K program. Pre-K will consider the following situations, as priority needs when making participant selections:

• Children who live in the attendance area of school with a Pre-K
• Children who are homeless
• Children who have been served in a Head Start/Early Head Start preschool
• Children who will attend kindergarten in an elementary school designated as Title-1
• Children with identified special needs