Enrollment
Dexter Community Schools enrolls new students online using PowerSchool. 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. Please read the New Student Enrollment Instructions before you begin the process.
Enrollment for Fall 2023 OPENED March 9th, 2023.
Enrollment Process
Please click here for New Student Enrollment Instructions. Please print/view these to complete the steps below.
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Contact the school office about a student returning to Dexter after a break.
It can take one business day for the preregistration form to be approved or a student to be reactivated. If you don't see a registration email in your inbox within one business day after completing the pre-reg form, check your spam folder or search for an email from PS Dexter or powerschoolemail@dexterschools.org or call the school office for help.
Kindergarten & Young 5
Kindergarten and Young 5 Enrollment
The Dexter Early Elementary Complex (or DEEC, pronounced “Deck”) is made up of two school wings, Anchor and Beacon. Incoming students are placed in classes in order to balance demographics and class sizes. We attempt to keep Y5-grade 2 siblings in the same wing.
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. There are no exceptions to the December 1st cut off. After registering your student online, you should complete and submit the waiver form during roundup on April 19th or 20th. Children who turn 5 between June 1 and December 1 are eligible for Young 5. If the child’s birthday is between Sept. 2 and Dec. 1 we highly encourage a Y5 placement. The principals will discuss reasons to lean toward Y5 or KG for kids with summer birthdays at the virtual information night on March 1, 2023. We have one half-day young 5 classroom and spaces are filled on a first-come, first-served basis with priority going to students who live within the DCS district. Those spots are filled using the Half Day young 5 sign up on April 17 (see below).
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Schools of Choice Application Window: February 15-28th. Families will be notified of their status by March 7th.
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Virtual Information Night: March 1st 7pm. Registration is required. Here is the link to register for webinar: Click here for meeting recording. Click here for meeting slides.
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DEEC Open House: March 8th 5pm-7pm - Kids and parents, come see our spaces and meet our staff!
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Online Registration Opens March 9th. Schools of Choice (SOC) families should wait to register until they are accepted. All families should complete online registration prior to the paperwork roundup April 19 & 20th.
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Half-day Young 5 Virtual Sign-up April 17, 10:00am (sign up form will be here).Update 5/8/2023: Due to lack of demand, we will not be having a half-day young 5 program for the 2023-2024 school year. -
ROUNDUP April 19th & 20th: KG & Y5 Parents/Guardians may sign up for a time to bring any outstanding paperwork and original birth certificate in to the school, or you may drop in anytime between 12pm-6pm on April 19th or 7:30am-12pm on April 20th.
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Kindergarten/Y5 Kickoff: June 1st, 5-6:30pm at the DEEC. Climb aboard a Dexter school bus, meet some teachers, and make some new friends. Finish paperwork if you haven't already.
Paperwork
Documentation
- proof of residence
- most recent report card for students entering grades 8 and up
- parent photo ID (a copy is fine)
- immunization records or health department waiver
Any documents you don't upload during registration will need to be brought to the school office or to kindergarten/y5 roundup for that age group along with the original birth certificate.
ALL students:
- parent/guardian photo ID (upload in PS)
- original birth certificate or passport (must show original in person to DCS staff)
- proof of residence (see below - upload in PS)
- immunization record/waiver
- records release (for transfers - complete in PS)
As Needed/If applicable:
- transcript (grades 8 and up)
- custodial paperwork (see below)
- medical info/update form
- temporary residence statement
- new student parent input form
- kindergarten waiver form
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).
We need two documents to verify residence:
- 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. There are several documents in a typical closing packet which can be used. We need one legal document that includes the following: the property address, parent or guardian name, and date of sale;
- - OR- Contract to build a house with estimated completion date;
- -OR- A lease in your name;
- -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.
- A utility bill or confirmation of service in the parent/guardian's name at the address: water, electric, cable, gas
OTHER INFO
- Parents and guardians 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:
- Dexter Community Schools District Map
- Washtenaw County School Districts Map
- Michigan ISDs and ESAs Map
- If you are moving households and are unsure whether a particular address falls within the DCS boundaries, please contact our central offices at info@dexterschools.org or 734-424-4102. The county mapping software used to verify addresses can be complicated to navigate, so we are happy to assist you searching for a particular address.
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
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Receive a free, appropriate public education;
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Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment;
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Enroll in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documents;
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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.)
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Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if you request this;
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Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to your children's needs.
TRANSPORTATION
TRANSPORTATION
- As part of the enrollment process, there is a form you can complete to indicate whether or not your student will need transportation.
- Dexter Community Schools does not provide transportation for schools of choice students. Non-resident students may not be driven to an in-district bus stop to be transported by bus. The only exception to this would be with by written request with verified in-Dexter care arrangements, and only on a space-available basis.
- All parents are requested to update their transportation requests annually starting in June.
- Routes are published in late August.
AFTER SCHOOL CARE
AFTER SCHOOL CARE
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
Additional Enrollment Information
immunization requirements
District Maps
- Dexter Community Schools - District Map*
- Washtenaw County School Districts Map
- Michigan ISDs and ESAs Map
We understand that these maps can be hard to read if you are on a border. Please call our office at 734-424-4102 or send an email to info@dexterschools.org and we would be happy to get you a definitive answer about a particular property address. We don't recommend relying on info from neighbors or real estate agents because sometimes they are (understandably, since some sites are complicated!) mistaken.