Thank you for your interest in the Bainbridge Island School District's policy and procedures for early entrance.  A child considered for early entrance must demonstrate exceptional cognitive ability and is expected to excel when placed with older children. For most cases, the District encourages you to enroll your child in school when he/she is chronologically eligible. We want your child to have a successful start to his/her school career that will continue throughout his/her schooling experience. 

Washington State does not require districts to offer an early entrance option. If a district chooses to offer this option, each school district sets its own policy, procedures, and criteria for selection. Our policy defines early entrants for kindergarten as children who are not yet five years of age on September 1st.  However, any child who turns five years old after November 30th is not eligible for kindergarten early entrance consideration. 

A team will collect information and administer a series of tests to determine the likelihood that your child will excel as an early entrant to the Bainbridge Island School District. Your child must demonstrate performance at or above specified levels in each of the following areas: 1) physical health and motor development; 2) social and emotional development; 3) approaches toward learning; 4) language, literacy, and communication; and 5) cognition and general knowledge. The team will make its decision regarding early entrance and one of the team members will notify you. Appeals to the policy, procedures, or decision shall be made first to the principal and then, if necessary, to the superintendent or designee. The superintendent's decision will be final.

You may obtain an early entrance packet from one of the elementary schools.  Required Forms are also available below.  Parents initiate the screening process by completing the Application, the Questionnaire, and paying the non-refundable Pre-Admission Screening fee. These documents must be received by the school office before June 1st for the child to be screened before the end of the current school year.  Screening will usually take place in May and June.  For families who move to Washington state during the summer and were unaware of entrance policies, applications will be accepted until August 15th.

If you have questions regarding early entrance, please call the school counselor at your neighborhood elementary school: