Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (4K) Program

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MMSD 4 year old kindergarten program

What every parent needs to know about 4K and 5K

MMSD 4 Year Old Kindergarten Logo

All children who are four years old on or before September 1 and live in the Madison Metropolitan School District are eligible to participate in the Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (4K) program. 

Visit the Registration & Enrollment website for more information about online enrollment. 

MMSD 4K - 2021-2022 School Year

Families and students, Welcome to 4K! We are excited to begin the 2021-22 school year. In MMSD 4K, your child will learn through a play-based model that provides the opportunity for skill building and development in several areas including language, vocabulary, early literacy, and math skills, as well as social skill development. Your child will learn through play while observing, exploring, experimenting, talking, sharing, pretending, and having fun.

For the 2021-22 school year, MMSD is offering half-day 4K programming at many elementary school sites and community based Early Care and Education (ECE) sites. In MMSD elementary schools, programming is offered 4 half-days per week, Tuesday through Friday, in the AM or PM (see list of MMSD elementary schools below for more information regarding hours of operation). Half-day programming at ECE sites varies by site. Please contact the site directly for more information regarding hours of programming.

Full-Day 4K Expansion

Great News! We are now offering half-day and limited full-day 4K programming. Read on to learn what is available at your attendance area school.

Thanks to the passing of the operating referendum by the Madison community in November 2020, MMSD will offer full-day 4K programming limited to Allis, Hawthorne, Huegel, Leopold, Lindbergh, Mendota, Orchard Ridge and Sandburg Elementary schools (for families that live in these school attendance area boundaries only) in the 2021-22 school year. These particular schools were selected for full-day 4K programming as Leopold, Mendota and Hawthorne are community schools (schools that offer a range of services in addition to educational services) and the other schools are identified as schools with a high percentage of Black, African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and low SES students/families, or have space availability.

Space in the full-day classrooms is limited; a lottery will be conducted if interest in attendance exceeds the authorized student enrollment. Students enrolled will be expected to attend four full days per week, Tuesday through Friday. Half-day programming with transportation is available at neighboring elementary schools for those families who are interested in half-day 4K.

Full-day 4K is an equity strategy that supports the MMSD early literacy initiative. For more information about the full-day 4K expansion, visit this page.

Early Care and Education Sites (ECE)

Several of the ECE sites that partner with MMSD also offer full-day programming. If you are interested in attending 4K at an ECE site, please contact the site directly to determine if they have an option that fits your family's needs.

Here is a list of MMSD 4K schools and ECE sites (half day).

Quick facts:

*There is a $40 materials fee. If you are attending 4K at an Early Care and Education Center, please contact the site Director for information on how to pay the fee.