Preschool Enrollment

Enrollment for school year 2022-2023 opens on Tuesday, March 1st, and is open throughout the year for families who move to Richmond City. Note that students who will be 5-years-old on or before September 30, 2022 are eligible to enroll in kindergarten. Per the Code of Virginia, parents/guardians of any child who will not have reached his sixth birthday on or before September 30 of each school year may delay the child's attendance for one year. Click kindergarten enrollment policies to learn more.

Richmond City residents with a school-aged student must follow this simple process to enroll:

1. Determine your eligibility.

A child must be residing with a parent or legal guardian in Richmond City to attend Richmond Public Schools. If you aren’t sure if your residence is within the RPS boundary, use our School Locator to find out. Click to read the full text of RPS’s residency policy.

Preschool Enrollment Requirements

• Children who will be 3 or 4 years old on or before September 30 of the year they enroll may apply to preschool. 
• Students may enter kindergarten if they will turn five on or before September 30 of the year they enter school (for school year 2022-2023, September 30, 2022). This age requirement also applies to students who transfer from other school districts after the start of the school year. 

 2. Prepare your enrollment documents.

Families enrolling in Richmond Public Schools must provide several documents during enrollment, including proof of residency in Richmond City (two proofs are required), the child’s original birth certificate or a certified copy (a scanned copy or photograph can be uploaded but the physical document must be presented before the student is enrolled), a child's health information including a physical, and a child's immunization records, and proof of income. Click for complete information on required documentation, which may vary based on the child's grade.

Families will be required to upload documents in the online enrollment form, or provide them in person at their zone school during a scheduled appointment, before their child can be enrolled. Preschool applicants must provide acceptable proof of income before they can be placed. The child's birth certificate must be provided in person at a child's school once a preschool student is placed and approved for enrollment.

3. Complete the online enrollment form in Enroll RPS. 

RPS Preschool enrollment applications must be completed in Enroll RPS (www.attendrvaschools.com). Families enrolling a student in RPS for the first time will need to create an account when they first visit. Returning families should use the same login information used for enrollment or school applications of other children. Watch a quick video on how to create an account.

Enroll RPS separates the steps of the enrollment form into short sections, and allows families to save their progress and return to their work at a later date. Resources are available on how to use Enroll RPS, including how-to videos. Despite this helpful functionality, we encourage families to submit their preschool enrollment applications as soon as possible!

4. Await preschool placement decision

RPS Preschool applications are processed by our Early Childhood Education Department to determine eligibility and appropriate school placement. If your child is placed, you will receive an email notifying you of next steps to complete the enrollment process.

5. Schedule an appointment at your school to complete the preschool enrollment process.

Per the Code of Virginia, a family must present their child's birth certificate (or a certified copy) to enroll in a school division in Virginia for the first time. Once you receive your placement notification, you will receive an email/call from their school to schedule an in-person appointment for this final step.

Need additional support?

Our school staff members are excited to support you with the enrollment process, and we look forward to welcoming you and your child next school year! 

If you need additional assistance with the online form, you can make an appointment at your zone school by calling them (School Directory) or submitting an appointment request. If you do make an appointment, please try to visit with all required enrollment documents to minimize the number of visits required.

Additional questions should be sent to preschool@rvaschools.net.

Below are frequently asked questions pertaining to enrollment. If you have additional questions, please email enrollrps@rvaschools.net.

My child already attends an RPS Preschool. Do I need to enroll again?
No. Students who were admitted to RPS Preschool as a three-year-old may continue as a four-year-old without re-enrolling.

What school zone do I live in?
Each residence in the city of Richmond has a zoned school at the elementary (K-5), middle (6-8), and high school (9-12) levels.  School zones are based upon the physical address where that student lives. Locate your child's school by address. While preschool applications will populate a zone school in our online enrollment system, final placements may differ based on student eligibility and seat availability.

What documents do I need to provide when enrolling my child?
You will need your child’s original birth certificate (or a certified copy), immunization record, and proof of a physical (within the last 12 months). Parents must provide two proofs of city residency per Richmond School Board Policy 8-2.2 (more information about acceptable documents is below). For preschool enrollment, proof of income is also required.

These documents are not required to complete the online enrollment form, but will be required before you complete the process. If you do not have access to these documents when completing online enrollment, you will need to upload them at a later date or bring the documents to the school in person by making an appointment. For next steps with enrollment, please reach out to your students' new school. 

The birth certificate (or certified copy) must be provided in person. Upon completion of your online enrollment form, someone from your school will contact you to schedule an appointment to bring this document.

What counts as a proof of residency document?
Per School Board Policy 8-2.2, acceptable forms of proof of residence shall include, but not be limited to, two or more of the following, which reflect the physical address of the resident:

• A U.S. or Virginia income tax return from the previous year
• A U.S. Internal Revenue Service tax reporting W-2 form from the current year or its equivalent
• A deed or lease agreement to the residence, a mortgage bill for the residence 
• A voter registration card, a receipt for personal property taxes paid within the last year and/or a payroll check or payroll check stub issued by an employer within the last three months. 
• A utility bill will be accepted, and will be counted as one of the two proofs of residence, only if the utility bill is presented in conjunction with a lease or mortgage bill that shows the same address as the utility bill and is in the same name as the person enrolling the student (pre-marriage names will be accepted if a picture I.D. is presented).

Additionally, a driver’s license or Virginia state issued identification card will be accepted, and will be counted as one of the two proofs of residence, only if the driver’s license or Virginia state issued I.D. is presented in conjunction with a lease or mortgage bill that shows the same address as the driver’s license or Virginia state issued I.D and is in the same name as the person enrolling the student (pre-marriage names will be accepted since a picture I.D. is being presented.)

For more on special circumstances surrounding residency and admissions, please consult RPS Board Policy 8-2.2; for more information about enrollment documents, click here.

• 2021 W-2
• Letter from employer on company letterhead indicating parent name and income
• A recent pay stub
• Notice of Action from Department of Social Services
• TANF verification
• SSI verification
• Child Support court documents.
• Proof of receipt of SNAP benefits (for example, a copy of notice of approval, other documentation of eligibility from the SNAP agency, or Electronic Benefit Transfer [EBT] card with SNAP ID number)
• 1040 tax form