It is almost time for kindergarten registration in the Warren County School District.

This year, there is a change to the policy.

“Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, and continuing thereafter, in order to meet the earliest admission age for the district’s kindergarten program, the student must be five years old on or before July 1,” according to a kindergarten registration release from the district. “No early admission to kindergarten shall be permitted.”

Registration will take place at the district’s elementary schools.

Parents are asked to bring the child they are registering, a state-issued birth certificate, parent’s proof of residency (a utility bill, tax bill, mortgage bill, driver’s license, or state-issued ID card), the child’s immunization record, and a completed registration packet. Packets are available at all district elementary schools, the central office in Russell, and starting in January, online from the elementary school pages on the wcsdpa.org website.

Registration will take place during the last week in January according to the following schedule:

¯ Warren Area Elementary Center — from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., noon to 2:30 p.m., and 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27, and from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28;

¯ Youngsville Elementary School — from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., noon to 2:30 p.m., and 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29;

¯ Eisenhower Elementary School — from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., noon to 2:30 p.m., and 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30; and

¯ Sheffield Area Elementary School — from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., noon to 2:30 p.m., and 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31.

Questions about registration may be directed to the central office at 723-6900.

Objection

For more than a year, Rob Cook has attended nearly every school board and committee meeting.

He originally asked that the board reconsider the cut-off date.

At Monday’s meeting of the Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology committee, Cook issued one last plea.

“I’m hoping for one last shot at some common sense,” Cook said. “I’ve come to ask you one last time to please reconsider.”

The board instituted a two-year grandfather period to help those who had already entered students in the first of two years of pre-kindergarten programs avoid spending a third year in two years of programming.

“Why only a two-year grandfather period?” Cook asked. “Why July 1? Why no exceptions?”

“The July timeline doesn’t make sense and something should have been done sooner,” he said.

He said the board has been accused of spending disproportionate time on athletics issues. “Why don’t you do something different” and spend time on this issue, he suggested.

He went around the board, speaking to several members and some administrators about the interactions he had had with them.

He said committee member Mary Passinger told him she “never agreed with July 1.”

She agreed that there was no particular reason for July 1 over any other date, except that was the recommendation that came to the board. “There’s no way we can pick a date that everybody is going to agree with,” Passinger said.

“I understand your concerns,” committee chairman Joe Colosimo said. “Other parents have felt similar concerns.”

“The board spent a lot of time,” Colosimo said. “There’s supporting evidence for every age, every scenario. There’s always going to be somebody born one minute after some date.”

The committee did not take action to add an item to the special board meeting or to initiate a discussion with the full board.