White County Schools GA Lottery Pre-K program is an age-appropriate instructional program for 4-year-olds that prepares students for a successful transition to kindergarten and beyond.
Pre-K teachers use Georgia Early Learning Development Standards (GELDS) to make every moment with your child a learning opportunity. To explore the GELDS, go to http://gelds.decal.ga.gov/.
Below you will find information regarding our application and lottery selection process.
White County Schools Pre-Kindergarten Lottery Process
The Pre-Kindergarten lottery application for the 2024-25 school year will be open from March 4-22, 2024. Lottery registration will close on March 22, 2024 at 5:00 PM.
Completing the lottery application does not guarantee that your child will be selected for a seat. Lottery applications will NOT be accepted after March 22nd at 5 PM for any reason. Applications must have a valid email address and phone number. There is no need to contact the Pre-K site or the Office of Early Learning after you apply. You should receive a confirmation of your submission via email.
The lottery drawing will take place on March 25, 2024. Notification of selection will be sent to the email provided on the lottery application. Please check your email, including spam and junk mail folders for notifications beginning on March 26, 2024.
Requirements
For your child to be eligible for the White County School’s Georgia Lottery Funded Pre-Kindergarten program:
Your child must turn 4 years of age on or before September 1, 2023
If you are the parent/guardian of twins, triplets, multiple siblings, etc. who are age-eligible for Pre-Kindergarten you are required to submit one application per child. Please note that all applications are selected individually and there is a chance that only one child will be selected for a seat on the roster.
Out of District Applicants
In accordance to Bright from the Start and Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, "A child who resides within another local school system’s attendance zone may not be denied service but may be placed on a waiting list until all children who do reside within the district are enrolled".
Therefore, once all White County applicants have been selected for a roster and all waitlists have been exhausted, out-of-district applicants will be contacted to fill vacancies.
Lottery Process
Seats are filled through a random selection lottery process. You must submit ONE application per child.
The selection process consists of a two-tier lottery system.
Tier 1: Students who live within the attendance zone of the selected school will receive priority in the lottery selection. Addresses will be verified and seats will be filled from this list first. Once all seats are filled, a waitlist will be created for the remaining applicants.
Tier 2: Students who do not reside within the attendance zone of the desired school, but live within the White County School district, will be selected through a random lottery process and placed on the waitlist. This waitlist will be used if a class is not filled with Tier 1 applicants or the Tier 1 list is exhausted before all seats are filled. Additionally, if selected for a seat on the roster, you must provide transportation to and from the school.
If you are unsure of your school attendance zone, click here.
If your child is zoned for a school that does not offer GA Lottery Pre-Kindergarten, you may submit an application for the school closest to you. However, applications that are not zoned for a GA Lottery Pre-Kindergarten location are considered Tier 2.
All White County School employees are eligible to apply. However, WCSS employee status does not automatically guarantee a seat on the roster. Applications will follow the guidelines of the lottery process.
Eligibility for Enrollment
If selected for a seat on the roster, the documents below will be required at the time of registration. White County Schools Registration Requirements include:
*Completed Pre-K registration packet
*Photo ID of the parent/guardian registering the student (government-issued photo id, driver’s license, passport)
*Age Documentation (original or certified copy of birth certificate indicating 4 years old by September 1, 2023)
*Proof of Guardianship (original birth certificate with parent name OR guardianship documents)
*Proof of Residency (lease/property tax statement and current utility bill {gas/electric/water/sanitation/cable} OR address affidavit** within the last 30 days)
*Certificate of Immunization (Form 3231)
*Certificate of Eye, Ear, Dental, and Nutrition Exam (Form 3300)
*Child’s Social Security Card (original card or waiver) – requested but not required for registration *Additional forms required from Bright from the Start: Roster Information Form & GA Lottery Pre-Kindergarten Registration Form
Attendance Requirements
GA Lottery Pre-Kindergarten students follow the White County Schools calendar and abide by the White County Schools Attendance Policy. Students are expected to be in attendance for the full instructional day (7:45 am - 2:45 pm), every school day. Students who are absent for 10 consecutive days without a medical excuse must be removed from the class per state guidelines.
If you would like to search for other possible locations at community-based providers, Bright from the Start offers a search feature for families to locate Georgia Pre-K Programs. You can access this information at https://families.decal.ga.gov/PreK/Search
*Please note, community-based sites are independently operated and not affiliated with the White County Schools’ Pre-K Programs. Contact these locations for specific information regarding their Pre-K program. Their admission process including procedures and enrollment periods may vary.
WHITE COUNTY SCHOOLS | PRE-K PROGRAMS
Mossy Creek Elementary School - 128 Horace Fitzpatrick Dr., Cleveland, GA 30528 706.865.5000
Mount Yonah Elementary School - 1161 Duncan Bridge Rd., Sautee, GA 30571 706-865-3514
If you have additional questions, please contact Jill Baughman at 706-865-2315 ext. 1801