Registration will be offered Feb. 28 through March 4 for Newton County School System’s pre-kindergarten program.

Children can be registered at the elementary school they are zoned to attend next year, except students attending the new elementary school on Airport Road should register at Palmer-Stone Elementary School and those attending Fairview Elementary School next year should register at Ficquett Elementary School.

Hours for registration are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 28, March 1-2 and March 4. Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 3.

There are 540 slots available for the next school year. Children will not be placed on the roster for possible selection until all required documents are submitted. Only custodial parents and legal guardians may register a child for pre-K.

A lottery drawing will be held for placements. Only students with completed registration packets will be eligible for participation in the lottery selection process.

Once all slots are filled, the remaining names will be placed on a waiting list in the order they were drawn during the lottery process, and called if spaces become available.

Children must be age 4 on or before Sept. 1 to qualify for enrollment. Bring a certified birth certificate and two proofs of residence/address, one from each of the two categories below:

Category 1: Electric, gas, garbage, or water bill in the name of the person enrolling the child.

Category 2: Current lease, rental agreement, or mortgage statement from the purchase of a home.

If the child does not live with one or both parents, guardianship or custody documents must be presented. Should the child and parent/guardians live with someone else and as a result does not have a proof of address in his/her name, a Statement of Legal Residence/Affidavit of Parent/Guardian is needed. Bring the affidavit completed, signed and notarized, along with the two proofs of residence in the name of the person who owns the property.

An affidavit can be obtained from any elementary school and the Newton County Board Office. A notary will be available at registration. If you choose to have your paperwork notarized using the free notary at registration, the person who owns the property must be present with the two proofs of residence outlined above.

Parents must also bring the child’s Social Security card; the Eye, Ear, Dental (EED) Screening Form no. 3300 (if the child has reached age 4); and Immunization Record Form 3231. Both forms may be obtained from a doctor or the Newton County Health Department.

If there is no Social Security card, a waiver may be signed at the time of registration. Please check with your doctor or the local health department for new immunization requirements. Applications and other required documents may be downloaded from the Pre-K Department Page on the Newton County School System website.