Pre-Kindergarten

2026-2027 Pre-K and K-12 Enrollment is NOW OPEN. Enrollment remains open for 2025-2026.

Pre-Kindergarten in Shawnee Mission:
Imagine. Explore. Discover.

The Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) is proud to offer a Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) program for 4-year-old students living in the district. The district program is developmentally and educationally appropriate and emphasizes students' need for active learning. Teachers provide a stimulating environment of challenging materials and engaging activities essential to the growth and development of each child. Research suggests that a Pre-K program structured around these components will best serve students.

Pre-K students are exposed to learning experiences that promote social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive development. They learn skills such as taking turns cooperatively, sharing, and following directions — all essential components for future social, behavioral, and academic success.

Pre-Kindergarten in the Shawnee Mission School District

Ready To Enroll

Please Note: This process will not work on your mobile phone. If you do not have access to a tablet, laptop or desktop, please contact the Early Childhood Department at 913-993-6441. to schedule an appointment to enroll.

Pre-k enrollment (for families new to the district)

New student enrollment instructions

skyward family access (for families with children in already in SMSD)

instrucciones de inscripcion en linea para nuevos estudiantes

Pre-Kindergarten Eligibility

Rosehill Pre-K student wearing a Pre-K shirt

Fee and No-Fee Pre-Kindergarten Options

Shawnee Mission School District offers two options for Pre-Kindergarten. They include fee and no-fee options.

Fee and no-fee half-day Pre-K option

Qualifications apply to attend with no fees.

No-fee Pre-Kindergarten is offered at the following elementary schools:

ApacheIS
Benninghoven
Bluejacket-Flint
Broken Arrow
Brookridge
Brookwood
Comanche
Crestview
Highlands
Lenexa Hills
Merriam Park (Must reside in a Title 1 boundary)

Nieman
Pawnee
Rising Star
Roesland
Rosehill
Rushton
Santa Fe Trail
Shawanoe
Tomahawk
Trailwood

No-fee half-day Title I Pre-K option

Wraparound care options

Pre-Kindergarten in Shawnee Mission is a half-day program.

Wraparound care options to cover the other portion of the day are offered at the sites listed below, through third-party childcare partners, JCPRD and YMCA.
To be clear, wraparound care is not provided by the Shawnee Mission School District. Please review the links for the providers listed below to familiarize yourself with their enrollment requirements.

Benninghoven
Bluejacket-Flint
Brookwood
Highlands
Merriam Park
Pawnee

Rising Star
Roesland
Rushton
Santa Fe Trail
Tomahawk
Trailwood

Families interested in contracting for a separate fee with childcare providers for wraparound care should contact Johnson County Parks and Recreation or YMCA depending on the location.

Enrollment Process

Step 1 Determine your school	Step 2 Pre-K Options	Step 3 Online Enrollment Opens Dec. 1, 2025	Step 4 Enrollment Documents Needed	Step 5 Questions

1. Determine what school your child will attend

2. Pre-Kindergarten options available at the school buildings

2. Look at the Pre-Kindergarten options available at the school buildings listed above in the section titled "Fee and No-Fee Pre-Kindergarten Options."
If a Pre-Kindergarten class is not offered at your child’s school, there may be a school nearby that does offer the program.
Please see the list of sites below.
Please note that if your child attends a school outside of your home attendance area for Pre-Kindergarten, they will not automatically be able to attend a school other than the school of their home attendance for kindergarten.
**To attend kindergarten at a school outside of your home attendance area will require an application for a transfer in accordance with district transfer procedures. Information is available here regarding the transfer process for grades K-12.

3. Online enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year opens Dec. 1, 2025

3. If you are a new family to the Shawnee Mission School District, click here to access online enrollment.
If you already have children enrolled in and attending Shawnee Mission schools, you should log into your Skyward Family Access account and select New Student Enrollment to enroll your incoming Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten student.
Enrollment will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
**Please note: To complete online enrollment, you must use a laptop, tablet, or desktop. If you do not have access to one of these devices, you may contact the Early Childhood Department at 913-993-6441 to make an in-person appointment.

4. The following documents will need to be provided as part of the enrollment process

Birth Certificate

Proof of Residency

Copy of full, unexpired lease (showing guardian name, address, guardian's signature as lessee, and the signature of the lessor) OR mortgage statement (showing guardian name, address, and a date within 45 days) OR the most recent county tax statement (showing guardian name and address).
Two utility bills (showing guardian name, address, and a date within 45 days). Must be electricity AND gas OR water OR wastewater.

Immunization Record

Physical Examination

Parent Photo ID

5. Additional Questions?

Which option best fits your needs?

What are the hours for the Pre-Kindergarten program?

The district offers a five-day a week, half-day program with morning or afternoon sessions available.
The morning session of Pre-Kindergarten is from 8:10 to 10:55 a.m. The afternoon session of Pre-Kindergarten is from 12:25 to 3:10 p.m.
Students enrolled in the Pre-Kindergarten program must attend Monday through Friday.
See the district calendar for dates when school is not in session.
If you have additional questions, please contact the early childhood department at 913-993-6441.

Is my child eligible for FREE Pre-K?

To enroll in schools offering free, Title I-funds, Pre-Kindergarten students must live in the attendance area of a Shawnee Mission Title I school and show an academic need. To enroll in free at-risk-funded locations, students must meet at least one of the following requirements:

Family qualifies for the free lunch program.
Family qualifies for reduced lunch support (Note: specific locations based on grant requirements).
Custodial parent is unmarried on the first day of school.
The student has been referred by the Division of Children's Services. The reason of the referral must describe the need for the child to attend Pre-Kindergarten and be documented and signed by the DCF agent.
At least one parent was a teen when the student was born.
At least one parent is lacking a GED or high school diploma on the first day of school.
Student has limited English proficiency based on assessments.
Student qualifies for services under the Migrant Education Program.
Based on appropriate and valid assessment results, the child has been determined by a trained professional to be lower than expected for his/her chronological age, yet above what would be considered eligible for SPED. Scores that fall at or below the 40th percentile indicate 'at-risk'.
Student is experiencing homelessness (must complete qualifying documentation with McKinney-Vento Liaison for school year in which child will enroll). A copy of the certificate of eligibility must be on file.
Students lacking health insurance at time of enrollment (Note: specific locations based on grant requirements).

If my child does not qualify for no-fee Pre-Kindergarten what are my options?

What is the cost of the tuition-based Pre-Kindergarten program?

Transportation

Transportation is not provided for Pre-Kindergarten students.

Exceptions at the Early Childhood Center may be:

Children with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)

May be eligible to receive district-provided transportation (bussing)

Children who are being evaluated to determine their eligibility for an IEP

May be eligible for district-provided transportation

2026 SMSD Pre-Kindergarten Welcome Dates

Pre-Kindergarten Welcomes are evening events hosted at each elementary school offering Pre-Kindergarten. This event gives families the opportunity to learn about Pre-Kindergarten in the Shawnee Mission School District. See below for your school's Welcome event.

Please follow specific direction from your area school regarding the event.

CHECK YOUr SCHOOL for their PRE-K WELCOME DATE HERE

smsd curriculum standards & grade level expectations

kansas early learning standards

Department Contacts

If you have questions or need assistance with Pre-K enrollment, please contact the Early Childhood Department at 913-993-6441.

Dr. Leigh Anne Neal
Chief of Strategic Initiatives
l eighanneneal@smsd.org
913-993-6412

Katherine Hodges
Secretary, Early Childhood Department
katherinehodges@smsd.org
913-993-6441

Pre-Kindergarten