UPK lottery and kindergarten registration information

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we begin the process of filling our Universal Pre-Kindergarten and kindergarten classes for next year, we’re reaching out to our elementary families with details on registration for both programs. If you have friends or neighbors with similarly-aged children, please feel free to share the following details with them as well.

The Glens Falls City School District has a vibrant academic program for our youngest students, designed to foster a love of learning that carries them all the way to graduation and beyond. We welcome new families into this educational journey, and look forward to partnering with parents to help our children succeed.

Universal Pre-Kindergarten lottery

If your son or daughter is a resident in the Glens Falls City School district and will be four years old by December 1, 2026, he or she is eligible to enter the Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) lottery. This free, full day, full-year program is focused on teaching the fundamentals of literacy and beginning math–all in a creative and stimulating environment, and taught by highly qualified and caring educators.

Please note: Students that are age-eligible to enter traditional Kindergarten (5 years old by December 1, 2026), aren’t eligible for UPK.

Glens Falls City Schools will be continuing the UPK program next year, pending the approval of funding by New York State. Transportation to and from the program is the parents’ responsibility. 

Entry into the UPK class is determined by lottery each spring. On the district website parents and guardians can find the registration form, health office requirements, and other paperwork to enter the lottery for UPK. All application forms are also available in the main offices at each school building. These completed forms, along with proof of residency, an immunization record, and the child’s birth certificate, should be submitted to the District Office (15 Quade Street) by April 17, 2026. Families will be notified by mail of the lottery results on or before May 1, 2026. Questions can be directed to Amanda Simmes, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction at 518-792-0107.

Universal Pre-Kindergarten Screening

UPK Screening events will be held at each elementary school during the month of May on the following days:

• Kensington Rd: Friday, May 8, 2026 - The school will notify you of your appointment time.
• Big Cross: Thursday, May 21, 2026 -The school will notify you of your appointment time.
• Jackson Heights: Friday, May 15, 2026 - The school will notify you of your appointment time.

Kindergarten registration

Registration for new kindergarten students is held at Kindergarten Round-Up events at each elementary school during the month of May. If you aren’t sure which elementary school your child will attend, see the map of elementary school boundaries.

Kindergarten Round-Up and screening appointments will be held on the following days:

• Kensington Rd: Friday, May 8, 2026 - call Anna Whitman at 518-793-5151 to make your appointment
• Big Cross: Thursday, May 21, 2026 - call Bobbi Harris at 518-792-2619 to make your appointment
• Jackson Heights: Friday, May 15, 2026 - call Stacy Frandsen at 518-792-1071 to make your appointment

Kindergarten students must be five years old by December 1, 2026 in order to start school in September. Certain immunizations, proof of residence, and an original birth certificate are required for admission. Click HERE for more details about the paperwork you need to register, and to download registration forms in advance of your appointment.

At your Round-Up appointment, a registered nurse will be present to meet with families and review children’s medical information. State law requires every child entering school to have had the following vaccines:

The required immunizations for new kindergarten students are:

• 4 to 5 doses of diphtheria, tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis (DPT, DTaP, Tetra, DT or Td) age appropriate
• 3 to 4 doses of polio virus vaccine (OPV or IVP) age appropriate
• 3 doses of Hepatitis B, except for those students who receive 2 doses of adult hepatitis B vaccine
• 2 doses of measles vaccine, age appropriate
• 1 dose of rubella vaccine, age appropriate
• 2 doses of mumps vaccine, age appropriate
• 2 doses of varicella (chicken pox) vaccine entering Kindergarten or entering 6th grade
• 1 dose of tetanus toxoid, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) entering 6th grade

The required immunizations for new Pre-Kindergarten students are:

• 4 doses DTP
• 3 doses Polio
• 3 doses Hep B
• 1 dose MMR
• 1 dose Varicella
• 1 to 4 doses Haemophilus Influenzas type B (Hib), age appropriate
• 1 to 4 doses Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccine, age appropriate
• Physical  done in the past 12 months before entering UPK.
• Results of a Lead level blood test. 

Each of these immunizations may be administered by a family physician or through a public health clinic. For public health information, families can call the Warren County Public Health Department at 518-761-6580. Clinics will issue a card for immunizations given. Private physicians will issue a certificate for immunizations given. In order for your child to enter school in September, the district must have a signed immunization certificate from your doctor or the clinic.

A preschool physical examination by your family physician is required, and the report should be brought in at registration or before school starts in September. The physical exam report is due no later than opening day in September. Questions can be directed to Amanda Simmes, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction at 518-792-0107.

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As you prepare to register your child, get connected to Glens Falls City Schools with the following news and information tools:

School News Notifier is an opt-in e-mail news system that delivers information on district activities and events, Board of Education meetings, the school budget, school closings and delays, and e-newsletters to anyone in the greater school community.Subscribers can also choose to provide a cell phone number to get text messages about school closings or delays due to snow or other unplanned situations—often before you’d get the snow day announcement on local TV or radio stations. SNN is available to anybody in GF Nation: grandparents, care-givers, neighbors—anyone who'd like to know when inclement weather is causing a snow day or delay.

You can also follow us on Instagram or Facebook to catch our GF Nation pride!