Attention families! Will your child be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2025? Do you know about the great Kindergarten options here in Philadelphia? Keep reading to learn more! Experts around the world agree: Attending Kindergarten is of great value to the social, emotional and intellectual development of a child.
In Philadelphia, the options for Kindergarten are many. Explore the list below to find what options are available for your child and your family.
Most urgently:
- Applications for schools that are outside of your catchment (neighborhood) open at 4 p.m. on September 13, 2024, and are due at 11:59 p.m. on October 23, 2024.
- For charter schools using the common application, the application opens September 20, 2024, and is due January 21, 2025.
- Learn more about the School District of Philadelphia school selection process and Application Assistance Labs with this link.
Note: some charter schools do not use the common application, so please review the links below for more information on individual charter selection dates.
| Learn more about your Kindergarten options: |
| Applications for schools that are outside of your catchment open on September 13, 2024, at 4 p.m. and are due by 11:59 p.m. on October 23, 2024. Learn more and apply here. |
| Applications for charter schools that use Apply Philly Charter application open on September 20, 2024, and are due by 11:59 p.m. on January 21, 2025. |
| Check back soon to see updated registration dates for Kindergarten at the School District of Philadelphia! Check out last year’s info! Registration open from January 21-May 30, 2025
Explore your catchment area and neighborhood school. |
| Apply to charter schools with independent applications starting October 2024. (Register through March 2025 — every charter school with an independent application has its own deadline.) |
| Apply to Philadelphia’s Catholic schools. |
| Apply to Philadelphia’s independent private schools. |
| Read school reviews and performance reports on Great Philly Schools. |
| And check out these resources to help get ready for Kindergarten: |
| Get fun, free, learning tips sent straight to your phone with Ready4K. |
| Learn about the developmental skills your child will need for Kindergarten with Conquering Kindergarten. |
| Practice your child’s ABCs with this album. |
And don’t forget: before Kindergarten, there’s pre-K!
- Enroll in a PHLpreK — or any free, publicly funded, high-quality preschool program for the 2024-25 school year — through www.freephillyprek.org beginning June 3rd! Your family will be able to locate a site near you and apply for all free PreK seats in one place! For more information about applying, please visit “How to Apply.” For all additional questions, please call 1-844-745-7735.
- The School District of Philadelphia also has pre-k enrollment opportunities.
