Enrollment

General Registration Information

Dexter Community Schools enrolls new students online using our Registration Gateway. This secure software allows new families to efficiently register their students online, and allows existing families to update their student information efficiently. All registrations and updates are reviewed by school secretaries before changes are published.

COVID-19 CLOSURE PAPERWORK PROCESS

August 2020: Due to COVID-19 concerns, we are currently accepting enrollment documentation via email, fax, or regular mail, including copies of the birth certificate and parent/guardian photo ID . We will review original birth certificates in person (a State requirement) when schools re-open.

secure email: info@dexterschools.org

confidential fax: 734-424-4108 *(424-4112 is not currently in service)

regular mail: Attn: DCS Enrollment, Bates School, 2704 Baker Road, Dexter MI 48130

contact-free drop off: contact your building office for directions to drop off documentation. Building contact info is in our directory.

Enrollment Process

If you are enrolling a student during the school year, please contact the school office where your student will attend to let us know you are coming and set up a tour, if desired. Parents of young 5 through second grade students can contact either Anchor or Beacon to enroll. Students are assigned to Anchor or Beacon randomly, unless they have a currently enrolled sibling at one of the buildings.

Anchor/Beacon -- young 5 through second grade (734) 424-4120/424-4130
Wylie -- third and fourth grade (734) 424-4140
Creekside -- fifth and sixth grade (734) 424-4160
Mill Creek -- seventh and eighth grade (734) 424-4150
Dexter High School -- ninth through twelfth grade (734) 424-4240

Our enrollment process has two steps:

Register your new student online. (Click here for New Student Enrollment Instructions).
Come to the school office (during the school year) or the main office at Bates School (during the summer): 2704 Baker Road, Dexter MI 48130 with the parent/guardian photo ID, an original birth certificate, proof of residence, and the student records release form (for students who have previously been previously enrolled in another district).

Summer Enrollment

For families enrolling during the summer months (Mid-June through the second full week of August), please contact our central office with enrollment questions: (734) 424-4100, ext. 1002. Due to COVID-19 precautions, you may email, fax, or mail documents rather than dropping them off this summer. Please make an appointment if you need to meet face-to-face for any reason. 734-424-4102

email: info@dexterschools.org

confidential fax: 734-424-4108

regular mail: Attn: DCS Enrollment, Bates School, 2704 Baker Road, Dexter MI 48130

Returning Students

Students who were previously enrolled in Dexter Schools within one year do not need to complete new student registration online. Contact the District's offices to see if the previous enrollment can be re-activated: 734-424-4101 or email us. You will still need to provide photo ID, birth certificate, and proof of residence.

Kindergarten & Young 5

Kindergarten and Young Five Enrollment

Michigan law requires students to be five years old by September 1st in order to enroll in kindergarten. The young five program is designed for students with late summer and fall birthdays. The decision whether to enroll a late-summer birthday 5-year-old in young five vs. kindergarten is something we recommend discussing with our staff so we can find the developmentally appropriate program for each student. (Kindergarten waiver requests are available for students who will turn five between September 2nd and December 1st, please see the waiver request form for further information.)

Families who were registered by the beginning of June should have received their building assignments. Families who register since then will be notified of their building assignment in August. All families will be notified of their teacher assignments in late August.

Here is the Young 5 and Kindergarten Information Night presentation slideshow from 2/25/2020.

Please click on the headings below to expand the information on each topic.

Proof of Residence

At enrollment, and any time you change your address, you will need to verify your eligibility to attend Dexter Community Schools. Schools of Choice students' residency documents must verify that they live in the Washtenaw Intermediate School District or a contiguous Intermediate School District (ISD). The follow documents are acceptable:

Homeowners:

Most recent property tax statement from your issuing tax authority;
-OR- Closing papers for a recent sale (feel free to redact financial info and/or social security numbers);
- OR- Contract to build a house with estimated completion date.

Renters:

A lease in your name AND a utility bill (utility set-up email confirmation is fine) at that address;
-OR- A lease in your name and a written statement from the landlord that utilities are included;
-OR- A notarized statement from a Dexter Schools homeowner/taxpayer indicating that you share living space and the dates of residence (for example, in the case of living with relatives or friends long-term), in addition to that person's proof of residence.

FAMILIES IN TRANSITION:

Parents of students who are considered homeless per McKinney-Vento guidelines should complete the Temporary Residence Statement. No further documentation is required. More information is available on our Student Support Services page.

immunization requirements

All students must have an up-to-date immunization record or County Health Department immunization waiver in order to attend school.

Immunization Informational Items

Schools of Choice Ernollment

Dexter Community Schools is a limited schools of choice district. This means we have two windows during which families from neighboring intermediate school districts can apply to attend DCS as school of choice students, based on available space. We can only accept SOC applications during the application windows for enrollment the following fall. Current Dexter students and their siblings have priority for available spaces. For more information, please see our School of Choice page.

Enrolling Students Who Have Been Accepted as School of Choice Students

After your student has been accepted as a schools of choice student, please follow the regular registration procedures outlined on this page. Currently enrolled students who moved out of the district and are accepted to stay as schools of choice students do NOT have to re-enroll online.

District Maps

Paperwork

Documentation

PLEASE NOTE: When you complete the online registration, you have the option to print out a record of your responses. You do NOT need to sign and return those printouts because they are replaced by the electronic signatures during registration, but may opt to print one for your own records.

Summer 2020: After completing online registration for each of your students, please email, fax or mail the following documents to the district offices. We will take copies of original birth certificates and parent/guardian ID when we know what school will look like in the Fall.

ALL students:

parent/guardian photo ID
original birth certificate or passport
proof of residence (see below)
immunization record/waiver
records release (for transfers)

As Needed/If applicable:

PROOF OF RESIDENCE

At enrollment, and any time you change your address, you will need to verify your eligibility to attend Dexter Community Schools. This applies to all students.

"In District" students are those who live at an address within the DCS district boundaries. Students of divorced parents who have at least one parent living within DCS boundaries are eligible to attend Dexter Schools, regardless of which parent has physical custody.
Schools of Choice students' residency documents must verify that they live in the Washtenaw Intermediate School District or a contiguous Intermediate School District (ISD).

The follow documents are acceptable to verify residence:

Homeowners:

Most recent property tax statement from your issuing tax authority;
-OR- Closing papers for a recent sale (feel free to redact financial info and/or social security numbers);
- OR- Contract to build a house with estimated completion date.

Renters:

A lease in your name AND a utility bill (utility set-up email confirmation is fine) at that address;
-OR- A lease in your name and a written statement from the landlord that utilities are included;
-OR- A notarized statement from a Dexter Schools homeowner/taxpayer indicating that you share living space and the dates of residence (for example, in the case of living with relatives or friends long-term), in addition to that person's proof of residence.

Other:

Parents of students who are considered homeless per McKinney-Vento guidelines should complete the Temporary Residence Statement. No further documentation is required. More information is available on our Student Support Services page.

District Boundary Maps:

Custodial Paperwork

Parent Notification Regarding CHILD Custody

As per State and Federal Law (MCL 722.30 & FERPA), please be advised, Dexter Community Schools recognizes the equal rights of parents and guardians as indicated on a certified birth certificate or legal court order.

In cases where parents/guardians are legally separated, divorced, and/or those parents who simply have ongoing custody issues between them, the parental rights of both parties will be equally recognized by your child's school, unless and until a parent/guardian has a legal court order that specifically restricts or denies the non-custodial parent's access to the child at school, the child's school records, or other protective order.

To accommodate a custodial parent's request to deny a non-custodial parent's rights to access or information on a child, the school must have a copy of the most recent court order or file that indicates one parent's access and information rights are inhibited. Otherwise either parent with proper identification may have access to the child at school, request and receive information, and be included in the child's educational process.

Parents receive this notification during the enrollment process and sign off to indicate they have read and understand it.

TEMPORARY RESIDENCE STATEMENT

The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless children and youth. McKinney-Vento provides federal funding to states for the purpose of supporting district programs that serve homeless students.

Under the act, children in homeless situations have the right to:

Receive a free, appropriate public education;
Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment;
Enroll in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documents;
Enroll in the local school, or continue attending their school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled), if that is your preference and is feasible. (If the school district believes that the school you select is not in the best interest of your children, then the district must provide you with a written explanation of its position and inform you of your right to appeal that decision.)
Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if you request this;
Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to your children's needs.

Complete this Temporary Residence Statement and return to your school counselor or principal to see if your family qualifies for this status.

For more information, please read the National Center for Homeless Education McKinney Vento Guide:

Annual Info Update

Annual Update

For currently enrolled families, we send home letters or emails in August reminding families to update each student's information and complete the annual notifications review. This is required for all students. These letters include instructions. The back-to-school update/annual review is a one-time process. If you have additional updates to your student's information after completing the review, please contact the school office to make those changes. Any time you have a change of address or contact information, please use the COA form to complete that change with us.

***Be sure to format your student birthdate MM/DD/YYYY and include the slashes.***

Medical Updates

For existing students with changes to their medical information, parents should also complete the Medical Update Form any time there are significant changes.

Quick Links

Change of Address

Already enrolled in the district and need to change your address/contact info? Please use the following form:

Current DCS Family Change of Address Form

We cannot process address changes without proof of residence at the new address.

Contact Us

District Offices
Bates School
2704 Baker Road
Dexter, MI 48130
M-F 8:00am - 4:00pm
(734) 424-4100
(734) 424-424-4108 fax
info@dexterschools.org

SCHOOLS OF CHOICE INFORMATION