*The Rankin Parents will be notified via the U.S. Postal Service, using only the physical mailing address indicated on the application submitted of either their child’s acceptance and/or waitlist for the Pre-K program in the Rankin County School District. Notification letters are not mailed to Post Office boxes. 

The Rankin County School District offers a Title I funded, free full-day program serving four-year-old children. All students must live with their parents/legal guardians within the boundaries of our district and meet all requirements for attendance in the Rankin County School District.  Our students will participate in a variety of activities designed to stimulate social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth through planned learning experiences.  Each Pre-K Title I school site will consist of a max of 20 students. Our Pre-K program is limited to serving no more than 100 students (5 site locations) per school year.

• McLaurin Elementary School
• Pelahatchie Elementary School
• Puckett Elementary School
• Richland Elementary School

The Rankin County School District in collaboration with Friends of Children of Mississippi, Inc. (McCall Head Start Center, New Hope Head Start Center, and St. James Head Start Center),  has been awarded the State funded Early Learning Collaborative Council Cohort IV Grant from the Mississippi Department of Education. This opportunity will afford early learners in Rankin County with access to a full-day of instruction that is directly correlated to the Mississippi Early Learning Standards for Classrooms Serving Four-Year-Old Children. The Rankin County Early Learning Collaborative will offer Pre-K at each of the following sites: 

• Flowood Elementary School
• Highland Bluff Elementary School
• McCall Head Start Center
• New Hope Head Start Center
• Northshore Elementary School
• Northwest Rankin Elementary School
• Oakdale Elementary School
• Pisgah Elementary School
• Rouse Elementary School
• St. James Head Start Center
• Steen's Creek Elementary School

For any other additional information and/or questions, please contact Lakeisha Maxer at lakeisha.maxer@rcsd.ms or by telephone at 601.825.5590.

 

APPLICATION QUALIFICATIONS

• Child must be 4 years old on or before September 1.
• Child and family must live in the School Zone.
• Child must be completely potty trained upon submission of application.
• Each child will be given a universal early learning screener to assess basic foundational skill knowledge.
• Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance into a Pre-K classroom.  Applications are kept on file for review if and when a spot may become available. 

 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Items needed for a completed Pre-Kindergarten application packet

• The child’s State Certified Birth Certificate (ORIGINAL)
• The child’s Certificate of Immunization Compliance Form 121 (Mississippi) https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/14,8569,71.html
• Group I" Proof of Residency: Homestead exemption, lease, mortgage, OR property deed with current address on it.
• Group II: Proof of Residency: Current utility bill dated within 30 days of application.  Acceptable Bill: Electricity, gas, landline telephone, cable TV, satellite TV, and water bill.
  • Note: If an item is not provided, the Pre-K application process is considered incomplete and cannot be considered for the Pre-K class in the Rankin County School District.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The Rankin County School District’s Pre-K Program does not discriminate in its program on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sex, age or genetics.

Step One:  The Director of Pre-K gathers all submitted applications from each school site.

Step Two:  Each application is assigned a number which allows all names and addresses to be omitted.

Step Three: The Pre-K Selection Committee receives a printout that does not contain the name or address of any child. The printout contains a corresponding number that correlates to each individual submitted application. The Pre-K Selection Committee is tasked to randomly select children while ensuring each classroom is balanced.  From this selection a class roll is developed, as well as the waitlist for each school. Pre-Kindergarten classrooms mirror any other classroom within a school setting in grades Kindergarten a higher.

Step Four:  Parents are notified via the U.S. Postal Service, using only the physical mailing address indicated on the application submitted of either their child’s acceptance and/or waitlist for the Pre-K program in the Rankin County School District. Notification letters are not mailed to Post Office boxes.