MANUAL - Children seeking to enter school must be five (5) years of age before September 2nd of the year admission is sought. The only exception is for a military student who does not meet the deadline if the student has previously attended kindergarten or a higher grade as a resident in another state. “Military child” means a child enrolled in kindergarten through grade twelve who is legally residing in the household of an active duty service member or whose parent or legal guardian is an active duty service member (Utah Code §53G-4-402 and §53E-3-903).
Students enrolling for the first time in a Jordan School District school are required to provide an original or certified copy of the student’s birth certificate or other reliable proof of the student’s identity and age, together with an affidavit explaining the inability to produce a copy of the birth certificate, at the time of registration (§53G-6-603). If a birth certificate is not available at the time of enrollment, refer to the “Birth Certificate Information” guidelines in the Planning and Student Services Manual.
Immunizations that are required for school entry must be on file. A variance has been given for military children (Utah Code §53G-9-303 and JSD Policy AS87).
If the legal custodial parent(s) or guardian(s) of a student who meets the kindergarten age requirement request placement in first grade without the student having previously finished a full year of kindergarten, the student shall be enrolled in kindergarten. Evaluation of students for placement in first grade prior to their actual enrollment in kindergarten shall be considered following JSD District Policy AS64 - Student Retention and Acceleration. District guidelines for acceleration of students must be followed in these cases. (See “Grade Accelerations and Retentions”.)
A parent may decide their kindergarten-age student is not mature enough to enter school even though they meet the age criteria set by state law. In this case, the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) may keep the child home and enroll them in kindergarten the following year.
At the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) request, a student who finishes a full year of kindergarten in another state or in a private school may enter first grade if they are 5 years of age or older before September 2nd of the school year in which enrollment is sought. (Parents may also request that they be enrolled in kindergarten in this same scenario.)
A student may be enrolled in the first grade even though the child did not meet the entry date for kindergarten the previous year, provided a full year of kindergarten was successfully completed in another state or private school (not daycare or preschool). The parent(s) or guardian(s) shall provide convincing evidence that the child has the academic, social and emotional skills necessary to succeed in first grade AND provide a statement from the previous school which verifies the student’s successful completion of the kindergarten curriculum (JSD Policy AS63 - Student Eligibility to Attend School). It is the responsibility of the legal custodial parent(s) or guardian(s) to provide such evidence.