Early Childhood Education

Offering high-quality Pre-K education for your child

CCS offers high-quality Pre-K program tuition-waived for the 2026-2027 school year. The Online Registration will open April 1, 2026. Enrollment appointments are no longer required. An income verification document and the Ohio Preschool Program (OPP) Application must be uploaded to the online registration for all Pre-K students. Please view the enrollment page for other documents needed to enroll. School selections will also begin April 1, 2026 via the Parent Portal after the online registration has been processed.

If you have additional questions, please review the Early Childhood Education FAQs. You can also contact 380-997-5192 or email eceenrollment@columbus.k12.oh.us.

Get Ready
for Pre-K

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Us

Early Childhood Education
Southland Center
3700 S. High St.
Columbus, OH 43207
Phone: 614-365-5822

Central Enrollment Center
430 Cleveland Ave.
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614-365-5204

Special Needs Preschool
Phone: 614-365-5204

Kindergarten Age Requirement

The State of Ohio updated the age requirements for kindergarten through amendment to Ohio Revised Code Section 3321.01. Under this new law, children must be five years old by the first day of school in order to start kindergarten.

For Columbus City Schools, children must turn 5 on or before August 25, 2026 to be eligible for kindergarten in the 2026–2027 school year for our traditional schools and for Woodcrest Elementary School (year round) children must turn 5 on or before July 28, 2026 (pending Columbus Board of Education approval).

Learn More About the Kindergarten Age Requirement

Pre-Kindergarten Overview

Registration

Pre-K students must be potty-trained by the first day of school. Students must also be 4 years old. If your child will be 5 years old by the first day of school, your child is not eligible for Pre-K but is eligible for kindergarten. Because the need for ECE is so great, students who live outside the Columbus City School District will not be considered for Pre-K enrollment.

Families who need to enroll must complete the Online Registration.

If you have registration questions or you would like to schedule an enrollment appointment, please contact our Central Enrollment Center at 614-365-4011 or centralenrollment@columbus.k12.oh.us.

Registration Documents

Please take time to thoroughly review the Necessary Documents to ensure that your application is not delayed in processing.

Verification of Student ID

Parent/Guardian Photo ID

Address Verification

May present any one of the following:

Recent utility bill (within 30-60 days of statement date)
A current lease agreement with parent/guardian’s name. The name and phone number of the landlord must be provided to verify the lease. The signature page for a lease that includes the landlord's signature is also required.
Current mortgage statement in the parent/guardian's name.
Two most recent pay stubs showing your name and address or a letter from your employer on company letterhead with your name and address listed. IRS W-2 Forms are also acceptable.
If you are in transition (doubled up or living in a hotel or shelter due to hardship), please call 614-365-5140.
For additional, acceptable address verification documents, please use the link below.

Necessary Documents

Immunization Record

Income Verification

We are a grant-funded program and are required to collect income information for each family. ALL sources of income must be submitted at the time of enrollment.

Earned Income

Two most recent pay stubs for each working adult in the home, showing the amount earned before taxes.
Families may also submit their tax return showing their income before adjustments.
If one or more family members are self-employed, a copy of the tax return or receipts for the month showing gross earnings is required.

Unearned Income

Educational Assistance
Alimony and/or child support
Gifts or assistance from family
SSI/SSDI
Unemployment
Veteran’s benefits
Worker’s Comp
Pension/Retirement Income

ALL families receiving SNAP, please submit documentation of the amount you receive each month at the time of enrollment. If your family lives in CMHA/CPO housing, please submit a copy of your lease.

Families with no income must provide documentation to explain how they are meeting basic living expenses and can complete the Declaration of Zero Income Form.

Ohio Preschool Program (OPP) Application

Proof of Custody (If Applicable)

PLEASE NOTE: In the State of Ohio, if parents were not married at the time of birth, the mother is the sole custodial parent unless the father goes to court and obtains an order of custody (Ohio Revised Code 3109.042).

If you are not the biological parent of the student that you are attempting to enroll, please provide a certified copy of a judge’s order or decree or modification of such order allocating parental rights and responsibilities and designating a residential parent and legal custodian of the child (if applicable)

Enroll Your Student, Today!

To get started enrolling your child in Columbus City Schools, complete your online SpeedyPass registration.

PLEASE NOTE: You will be required to upload the following Necessary Documents to your Online Registration (SpeedyPass). If you do not upload the required documents your application will not be able to be processed.

Enrollment Information

Families must complete the Online Registration (OLR) to begin the enrollment process.

The OLR application will open for Pre-K submission beginning April 1, 2026. OLR applications will be processed in the order they are received, provided all necessary documentation is uploaded to the application. Please review the Registration tab for required documents.

Once the registration is processed, the parent/guardian will receive their Parent Portal activation and additional information via an email from the Enrollment Specialist. The parent/guardian will then need to activate their Parent Portal to make their school selection and can place their child on up to three (3) waitlists. If presented with an enrollment offer, the parent/guardian will have 48 hours to accept it in their Parent Portal. If the parent/guardian does not respond to the offer, it will be automatically declined.

Priority Enrollment

The Early Childhood Education Program will adhere to the Federal Title Fund guidelines for priority Pre-K enrollment for students/families who meet one or more of the following criteria:

Foster care youth
Families who receive SNAP benefits (food stamps)
Families who are in temporary housing (homeless)
English-language learners

Federal Title Fund guidelines also include priority enrollment for students who meet both factors:

Students with challenges in literacy and language (information is collected through an online parent survey)
Students with challenges in social and emotional behavior (information is collected through an online parent survey)

Pre-K is open to ALL qualifying students, not just those who meet criteria for Priority Enrollment. Families who do not meet these criteria will be placed on a waitlist and if space is available when Priority Enrollment ends, they will be notified via email on or after July 6, 2026. Waitlisted families should review their Parent Portal often.

Kindergarten Lottery

PLEASE READ: Pre-K students enrolled in 100% lottery schools (Columbus Africentric, Columbus Spanish Immersion, Duxberry Park, Ecole Kenwood, and Oakland Park) will need to participate in the School Choice Lottery process when the application window opens for kindergarten enrollment.

For more information about the School Choice Lottery, please contact 614-365-7459 or email schoolchoice@columbus.k12.oh.us.

Enroll Your Student, Today!

To get started enrolling your child in Columbus City Schools, complete your online SpeedyPass registration.

Enrollment Steps

You can view the Pre-K Enrollment Guide or follow the steps below:

Gather enrollment documents.
Fill out Speedy Pass online registration.
Upload enrollment documents.
After registration is processed, set up your Parent Portal.
Answer the Pre-K Questionnaire and make your school selection(s) in the Parent Portal.
You will be notified of an enrollment offer or waitlist number.
Submit the Medical and Pre-K Packet.

Calendars

Download the 2026-2027 Traditional Calendar

Download the 2026-2027 Year-Round Calendar

Traditional Calendar
Pre-K Important Dates

Orientation for Pre-K is September 3-4, 2026.
All students report to school for Pre-K on September 8, 2026.

Woodcrest Pre-K
Important Dates

Orientation for Woodcrest Pre-K is July 24 & 27, 2026.
The first full day of Pre-K attendance is July 28, 2026.

Pre-K Forms

English

Arabic

French

Haitian Creole

Nepali

Somali

Spanish

Medical Requirement

According to state licensing guidelines, every preschool student is required to have documentation of a well child exam or yearly physical done within the last 12 months and an up-to-date immunization record on file before starting school. The medical form must be completed by a licensed healthcare provider in addition to the immunization record.

If your child needs a well child exam or immunizations, please contact their healthcare provider or Nationwide Children's Hospital School Based Health Services at 614-355-2590 as soon as possible to schedule an appointment. If a student has been seen by Nationwide Children’s Hospital within the last year for a well child exam, the parent/guardian can access this information online through MyChart.

You can email documentation of a well child exam/yearly physical including an immunization record to ECEnurses@columbus.k12.oh.us, fax it to 614-365-8745, or return it to your classroom teacher. We can accept the attached CCS Medical form, ODJFS Medical form, or any official documentation from a healthcare provider of a well child visit or yearly physical within the last 12 months.

We must have documentation of a yearly physical or well child exam on file BEFORE your student can start attending school.

Special Needs

Family Engagement

NEXT Pre-K Family Event

Countdown to Kindergarten
Current Pre-K and future CCS Kindergarten students and their families are invited to the Countdown to Kindergarten!. Hosted by the ECE and featuring early childhood activities and Kindergarten Readiness Kits.

📅 Saturday, May 2, 2026
🕥10 a.m. -1 p.m.
Cost for Families: FREE

Visit ECE Family Engagement

CCS Pre-Kindergarten Locations

The schools listed below will offer Pre-Kindergarten classrooms for the upcoming school year. If you have any questions, please call 380-997-5192 or email eceenrollment@columbus.k12.oh.us.

All Pre-K programs are licensed by the State of Ohio.

Columbus City Schools’ Pre-Kindergarten programs also participate in the Step Up to Quality Initiative mandated by the Ohio Department of Education. Step Up To Quality recognizes early care and education programs that provide quality standards to Ohio's children.

This is a detailed map of the Columbus, Ohio area, displaying the locations and types of various educational institutions, including pre-kindergarten schools, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. The map also includes regional boundaries and other geographic features in the background.

This is a list of pre-kindergarten sites for the Columbus City Schools district, providing addresses and contact information for various elementary schools.