For the Reporter

The Road Map Region – composed of the seven school districts in South King County, including Auburn and Kent – has identified Martin Luther King Jr. Day as the opening week for kindergarten registration.

Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 20, area school districts will provide information on kindergarten registration and begin the process of engaging incoming families. Efforts to spread the word about early registration via school districts and community partners will continue through spring.

Early kindergarten registration, a key strategy in the region’s Race to the Top Start Strong work, is critical for several reasons. Chief among them is laying the foundation for positive and ongoing relationships between schools and families.

To help eliminate the opportunity gap and ensure success for each child, PSESD (Puget Sound Educational Service District), in partnership with school districts in the South King County region, is helping increase school readiness for students and families by developing strategies that span the entire spectrum of support.

“There is a lot we can and are doing to increase school readiness. These efforts range from funding more high-quality learning environments to creating smoother transitions into kindergarten,” said Mary Waldron, P-3 Systems program manager. “One way to support smoother transitions is through more aligned registration systems, and promoting and supporting early kindergarten registration.”

To learn more or find information on early kindergarten registration in your area, visit roadmapracetothetop.org/resources.

About the Road Map Region Race to the Top Grant

The Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Renton, Seattle and Tukwila school districts competed together for $40 million in Race to the Top federal funding as the Road Map District Consortium. The districts’ grant was among 16 winners picked from nearly 400 applications by the U.S. Department of Education. The PSESD is responsible for managing the grant’s implementation and functions as the fiscal agent.