Two factors determine a student's eligibility to enroll in FCPS: residency and age. 

Residency 

Children must be living with a parent and residing in Fairfax County.

Age

A child may enter kindergarten if he or she turns five on or before September 30 of the year he or she enters school. 

This age requirement also applies to students who transfer from other school districts after the start of the school year.

The age requirement is set by Virginia law, and FCPS is not able to make exceptions.

Is kindergarten mandatory?

Virginia law states that parents must ensure a child attends school, if he or she will be five years old on or before September 30.

However, if, in your opinion as a parent, your child is not mentally, physically, or emotionally prepared to attend school, he or she may be exempted for that year. You will need to notify your local school if you do not want your child to attend kindergarten until the following year. 

Once a student turns six, school attendance is mandatory. Grade placement (either kindergarten or first grade) will be determined at the time of enrollment with consideration for factors such as age, academic records, and school readiness. 

Planning to home school your kindergartner?

See Home Instruction for the option for home schooling your child. 

Kindergarten students are registered at the local school. 

Find your local school by using the FCPS Boundary Locator. School contact information is listed in the Schools Directory.

Families who need language assistance may contact the closest Student Registration Welcome Center:

• Dunn Loring Center (central Fairfax) , 703-204-6740 
• Herndon Center (northwest Fairfax), 703-227-2210
• South County Center, 703-742-4900

At FCPS Student Registration Welcome Centers, you can ask questions and request information about enrollment in most languages. At the centers, professionals may assess your student's English language skill and/or educational level. These assessments can provide valuable information to the local school and support your child's instructional needs.

Special Registration Situations

Depending on circumstances (nonparent registrations, divorced or separated parents, homelessness, foster care and foreign exchange students), you will register at either the local school or a Student Registration Welcome Center. Please see Special Registration Situations.

Parents registering their children must provide several documents including proof of residency in Fairfax County, child's birth certificate, parent's government issued identification, child's health information, and child's immunizations.

See General Registration Documents for complete information regarding necessary documentation.  

Please bring the registration documents to your appointment with a registrar (see Step 5).

A parent will need to fill out a Pre-Kindergarten Experience Form and the packet of General Registration Forms for each child being registered. 

For the General Registration Forms, be sure to select the Enrollment Forms Bundle (Kindergarten) option to access all the necessary forms at once. Printed forms are available at the closest Student Registration Welcome Center or the local school office. For local school pick up, be sure to call ahead so the forms can be ready for you when you arrive. Families may also elect to complete an Online Registration Packet.

Please call ahead for a registration appointment at a local school (Boundary Locator and Schools Directory) or a Student Registration Welcome Center. 

The student and at least one parent must be present for the registration appointment at a school or a Student Registration Welcome Center. 

Please try to arrive with your registration documents and completed registration forms.