Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and Blind (MSA)

Kindergarten

Kindergarten supports children's cognitive, language, physical, social and emotional development

Description

Five-year-old children are experiencing rapid changes in their growth and development. Kindergarten provides a free learning opportunity that supports them during this critical time and lays a foundation for future school success. In kindergarten children learn from highly-qualified teachers and benefit from interacting with other children.

Kindergarten is provided through Minnesota public school districts and charter schools. More information about kindergarten can be found online.

Additional Information

Statewide public school that provides educational services for blind and visually impaired students from birth - age 21.

Features

• Area Served by County
  • Aitkin County
  • Anoka County
  • Becker County
  • Beltrami County
  • Benton County
  • Big Stone County
  • Blue Earth County
  • Brown County
  • Carlton County
  • Carver County
  • Cass County
  • Chippewa County
  • Chisago County
  • Clay County
  • Clearwater County
  • Cook County
  • Cottonwood County
  • Crow Wing County
  • Dakota County
  • Dodge County
  • Douglas County
  • Faribault County
  • Fillmore County
  • Freeborn County
  • Goodhue County
  • Grant County
  • Hennepin County
  • Houston County
  • Hubbard County
  • Isanti County
  • Itasca County
  • Jackson County
  • Kanabec County
  • Kandiyohi County
  • Kittson County
  • Koochiching County
  • Lac qui Parle County
  • Lake County
  • Lake of the Woods County
  • Le Sueur County
  • Lincoln County
  • Lyon County
  • Mahnomen County
  • Marshall County
  • Martin County
  • McLeod County
  • Meeker County
  • Mille Lacs County
  • Morrison County
  • Mower County
  • Murray County
  • Nicollet County
  • Nobles County
  • Norman County
  • Olmsted County
  • Otter Tail County
  • Pennington County
  • Pine County
  • Pipestone County
  • Polk County
  • Pope County
  • Ramsey County
  • Red Lake County
  • Redwood County
  • Renville County
  • Rice County
  • Rock County
  • Roseau County
  • Scott County
  • Sherburne County
  • Sibley County
  • St. Louis County
  • Statewide
  • Stearns County
  • Steele County
  • Stevens County
  • Swift County
  • Todd County
  • Traverse County
  • Wabasha County
  • Wadena County
  • Waseca County
  • Washington County
  • Watonwan County
  • Wilkin County
  • Winona County
  • Wright County
  • Yellow Medicine County

• Specialization
  • Blind or visually impaired
  • Children and/or youth with disabilities
  • Deaf or hard-of-hearing

Eligibility

Children must be five-years-old on or before September 1 of the calendar year that school starts and have received required immunizations. Children who are not yet five-years-old on or before September 1 may be considered for early entrance. Each school board establishes its own early admission policy for early entrance.

All district kindergarten programs require children to complete an early childhood screening before kindergarten or within 30 days of starting kindergarten. Charter school kindergarten programs may require early childhood screening – contact the school for more information. A child may meet the screening requirement by submitting a copy of a comparable health and developmental screening provided by Head Start, Child and Teen Checkups or through a health care provider. If a parent is a conscientious objector to the screening program for their child, the child does not need to participate in the state screening program. Learn more about Early Childhood Screening online.

In Minnesota, kindergarten eligibility is based on age; it is not based on what your child knows and is able to do. Children are always learning and all children are ready to begin kindergarten by age 5. There are no required skills or tests to decide whether a child is ready, or not ready, to begin kindergarten (unless the child is being considered for early entrance).

Kindergarten is not mandatory in Minnesota. Families can choose to enroll their child; however, kindergarten offers an important school experience and enrollment is strongly encouraged.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Blind and visually impaired students from birth - age 21

Fee

There is no cost