School

Schooling, like many other things in the US, varies from state to state, and things are not “one size fits all” when enrolling your children in school. For the most part, every state’s public school begins with kindergarten at the age of five. Prior to kindergarten, there is preschool, but preschool is usually privately operated and therefore not free. However, some school districts may have free preschool options with limited hours.

In most school districts, there are three levels of education, broken up by grades. 

 Elementary school -- kindergarten to 5th grade

Middle school -- 6th grade to 8th grade, and 

High School -- 9th grade to 12th grade 

Length of School Year

A school year is typically 9 months long. Depending on the state, it usually takes place from August to May or September to June. 

Is School Required?

It is required to enroll your children in school, and in most states it is mandatory until they graduate. Every local school district is different. In some smaller communities, there may be just one school for each level of education (elementary, middle, and high). However, in larger cities, you might find there are multiple elementary schools and middle schools in the district and one high school that they feed into. Regardless of community make up, where your children will attend school is based on where you live.

Public School in the US

 Each school district will have specific documents to submit for a student to enroll, but most will require:

1.  Application, which you can receive by visiting the school’s website or office
2. Child’s proof of Identity and age (e.g. passport, visa, or green card)
3. Proof of residency, specifically a document that has both your name and your address on it, such as a bill, drivers license, tax return, or lease
4. Records of vaccinations and immunizations that your school requires 
5. Any required registration and emergency forms 
   

Below is a search tool for finding your school district:

 https://www.greatschools.org/school-district-boundaries-map/ (Links to an external site.)

Additional Resources, by state:

Arizona:https://www.azed.gov (Links to an external site.)

Kansas: School District Map (Links to an external site.)

Louisiana: https://www.louisianabelieves.com/schools/public-schools (Links to an external site.)

North Dakota: https://www.nd.gov/dpi/districtsschools (Links to an external site.)

Pennsylvania: https://www.education.pa.gov/Schools/Pages/Public-Schools.aspx (Links to an external site.)

South Carolina: https://ed.sc.gov/how-do-i/public-schools/ (Links to an external site.)

Texas: https://www.mytexaspublicschool.org/the-school-system.aspx (Links to an external site.)

Wyoming: https://edu.wyoming.gov/ (Links to an external site.)

Interstaff Tips for Enrolling your child in public school 

 Enrolling your child in school is often easier than expected. Below are the steps we suggest to getting your child enrolled in school, along with some helpful tips. 

• Search for the public school in your apartment’s district for your child's age.
• Ask your apartment's front desk worker/ landlord what school(s) are in your district
• Use the search engines that Interstaff has provided above
• If there are multiple schools in your district, check the school's ratings online

Call the school and ask what documents you need to provide in order to enroll your child. 

• Show up to the school with all necessary documents and get your child enrolled! The people who work at the front desk of the school are often extremely helpful and will answer any questions you may have.