Kindergarten

Printable PDF 2026 Kindergarten Letter

January 16, 2026  

Dear Parents/Guardians of a Future Kindergartner:

Your child is about to start an exciting adventure where they will meet new friends and begin building the  
foundation for their education. As you navigate this journey, you will discover Sauk Rapids-Rice staff are passionate about children and learning!

Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools provides kindergarten to students entering the elementary schools at Mississippi Heights, Pleasantview, and Rice. To help you prepare, the district is excited to offer access to the Kindergarten Resource page on the district website. To get started, families can visit https://www.isd47.org/academics/kindergarten to view the Kindergarten Resources and/or register online. If your child attended early childhood education in the district, you will still need to register them as they will not be automatically enrolled.

Open House in each elementary school will take place on Thursday, February 26, 2026. Additional information will be shared from your student’s future building in early February. Kindergarten Open House is a chance for your child to meet and interact with kindergarten teachers and tour the school, as well as for parents/guardians to submit any additional forms. You can start the registration process online beginning January 23, 2026. If you register online and have documents that need to be uploaded, there will be an opportunity to do this at Open House. Your child will be enrolled after the district receives your completed registration form and the additional required documentation. If you need any assistance with registration, please reach out to your child’s future school of attendance or contact the district office at 320-253-4703.

You will need the following required information to register your child for kindergarten: 

• Original Birth Certificate (a copy will be made and the original returned to you);
• Immunization (Shots) Record/Physical Form; and
• Proof of Residency such as a recent utility bill.

To assist the district in planning for the upcoming school year, please complete this brief Google form by Friday, February 18, 2026, to let us know your attendance plan.

If you know of prospective kindergarten parents/guardians who have not received this letter, please contact the office manager at your child’s school: Jessica Hoffman (Mississippi Heights) at 320-252-0122; Jen Maier (Rice) at 320-393-2177; or Lisa Popp (Pleasantview) at 320-253-0506.

This is an exciting time, and we are thrilled to share this journey with you!

Sincerely,  
Bradley Bergstrom, Superintendent, Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools 

How to Register

All families are encouraged to register through Skyward Family Access, our online enrollment system. When using the online enrollment system, you will have the opportunity to upload all documents needed for registration as well. 

If you need assistance with completing online enrollment or uploading documents, you can contact the elementary school in the attendance area where you live, and they will assist you. 

• Mississippi Heights Elementary School: Jessica Hoffman, 320-252-0122
• Pleasantview Elementary School: 320-253-0506
• Rice Elementary School: Jen Maier, 320-393-2177

If you need a translator, please contact Dr. Megan Rogholt at megan.rogholt@isd47.org or call 320-258-1822 to assist you with registration. 

We know your child is eager to begin learning, and we can't wait to see them flourish. Before we can welcome them to the classroom, the following materials are needed to process their registration. Any documents that are missing may delay enrollment.* 

• Proof of Residency: examples include a recent utility bill (gas, water, electric, phone) or mortgage or rental agreement
• Immunization Record
• Birth Certificate
• Health Information Form*: To be completed and signed by a physician. Acceptable alternatives include submitting this form or providing a printout from your physician's office. *Note: This form may be submitted after the child's physical is completed and will not delay enrollment if not done at the time of enrollment.

The following forms are needed ONLY if they apply to your student(s).

• Early Childhood Screening: If this did not take place in Sauk Rapids-Rice provide the screening summery or where it was completed to Alison Ward. alison.ward@isd47.org
Incoming kindergartener screenings can be scheduled by calling Alison Ward at 320-258-1186 or view the current screening schedule here.
• IEP/Special Education (SPED) Records: if applicable 
• Early Childhood Special Education Enrollment Option for Nonresidents Form
• Open Enrollment Form
• Educational Benefits Form
• Families in Transition Form: if applicable 

Open Enrollment

For incoming kindergarten students not living within the school district boundaries, an open enrollment application will be required for them to attend school in the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District. Open enrollment status provides continued enrollment through graduation within the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District without having to provide additional non-resident paperwork. 

If you are interested in open enrolling into Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools, please complete the Open Enrollment Form and return it to the District Office at 1833 Osauka Road NE, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379. You can also fax it to 320-258-1819 or scan and email it to enrollment@isd47.org. 

The non-resident enrollment window for the 2026-2027 school year will open on January 23. You can submit your application for the 2026-2027 school year starting on that date.

Once you have registered online and submitted all of the necessary documents, preparing for school is the next step! We will contact you if any further information is needed for your child to begin. 

Parents/guardians and their child should plan to attend Kindergarten Open House to kick-off this exciting adventure. These will be help at each individual building. In the case of open enrollment, please attend the session at the building you would like to have your child attend. Kindergarten Open House allows both you and your child to see where they will start their education journey. 

Because of staffing and enrollment changes made throughout the summer, class lists are not finalized until early to mid-August. You will receive a letter in late August with a specific teacher assignment. 

Our Transportation page has information for you regarding route assignments, pick-up/drop-off times, bus orientation, and any other transportation questions. 

To learn about the food service program, how to add money to your account, how to apply for free or reduced meals, and any other food service questions, visit our Food Service page. 

Do you need before and/or after school care? Visit our School Age Care page to learn about the options we offer. 

These services are for those whose academic needs are significantly different from their peers and need individualized instruction through things like: early entrance to kindergarten, single subject acceleration, grade level acceleration and individualized learning plans.

Early Entrance to Kindergarten

In Minnesota, children are required to be five years old on or before September 1 in order to enter kindergarten. However, there are some situations where a child’s advanced social, emotional, and academic skills make early entrance to kindergarten a possibility. Putting your child into kindergarten early is a very important decision that can have impacts on the rest of his/her school career. In order to make an informed decision on whether entering kindergarten early is the right choice for your child, please read the Frequently Asked Questions provided below.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is my child eligible for early entrance? In the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District, early entrance to kindergarten can be considered if a child will be five-years-old on or before October 31 of their entry year. Students who have birthdays after October 31 are not eligible.

What skills should my child have in order to be considered for early entrance? Early entrance is considered the earliest form of acceleration and students will need to be able to handle the increased academic and social emotional demands put on them in Kindergarten. The expectations for early entrance are set high to ensure that students are able to be successful. Please read through the characteristics below in order to decide if your child is ready for early entrance to kindergarten.

My child: 

• Regulates emotions and behavior
• Works cooperatively with other students
• Shows motivation to learn and go to school
• Can maintain focus when completing a task
• Likes books and being read to
• Asks and answers questions in order to seek help, get information or clarify information
• Recognizes upper and lower case letters and sounds
• Holds scissors correctly
• Cuts straight and curved lines with some skill
• Holds pencil, crayon and markers correctly
• Knows numbers 0–10 in any order
• Counts to 20 or higher
• Adds and subtracts with manipulatives
• Knows basic shapes (circle, square, triangle, etc.)
• Names colors

How do I apply for early entrance? To apply for early entrance, please download the Kindergarten Form and complete as directed. Application materials are due by March 15.

The application includes questions for the parent/guardian to complete and a questionnaire for the child’s preschool teacher to complete.

What process does the district use to determine early entrance? After receiving your application, the early entrance coordinator will call to schedule the early entrance screening. This will be a 20–30 minute appointment in which the early entrance coordinator and a kindergarten teacher interact with the student in a school setting and administer an assessment of his/her academic and social emotional skills.

A team consisting of the early entrance coordinator, kindergarten teacher, school principal and the director of teaching and learning will analyze and discuss the information gathered from the application and the screening and determine if early entrance would be beneficial for the student.

Parents will be contacted by the early entrance coordinator to discuss the decisions of the team and if necessary, give information on enrollment. Parents have the right to appeal any decision made by the team by submitting a written request to the director of teaching and learning.

If my child is identified for early entrance to kindergarten, is the decision final? No. As with all types of acceleration, there will be a trial period in order to monitor how the student is doing academically, socially and emotionally. At the end of the first six weeks of school, the early entrance coordinator will meet with the kindergarten teacher and determine if early entrance will become permanent. Parents/guardians will be contacted regarding this final decision.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Dr. Megan Rogholt at megan.rogholt@isd47.org or 320-258-1822.