Running Start Kindergarten Program for 4-Year Olds

Bozeman Public Schools Running Start Kindergarten will be offered free to children who have turned 4 years of age by September 10 of the school year in which enrollment is to occur and meet the income eligibility guidelines. The District currently has a Running Start Kindergarten classroom in both Whittier and Hyalite Elementary Schools.

Our Running Start Kindergarten Program involves families as well as the attending child. Parent support is vital to the success of the program and families are encouraged to volunteer time to the program. This can include: helping in the classroom, preparing activities at home, serving on parent committees, etc. Upon acceptance into a program, your family will receive Family Support services, which include setting goals toward strengthening the family.

How to Apply for the Running Start Kindergarten Program

Income: Yearly income must be reported for all adults living in the household, even if they are not biologically related to the child. If the child is split between both parents and both parents have legal custody, both households will need to provide income verification. Examples of acceptable proof of income include: 1040 tax return, three full months of check stubs, W-2 forms, unemployment, child support, university grants, SSI, or TANF.

The students whose families do not meet the income guidelines of the program will be added to a waitlist. If the two sections are not full by late August, these students will be placed on a first-come-first-served basis.

Occupancy of Household: Provide the total number of adults and children living in the household. If the child is split equally between both parents, both households will need to provide total occupancy.

What Happens Next?

A copy of a Certified Birth Certificate and the most up-to-date Immunization Records are required as the First Step of the enrollment process. These documents may be emailed to anavel.esparza@bsd7.org; faxed to 406-522-6091; or dropped off at the Enrollment Office, 404 W. Main St., Room 133.

The Second Step of the enrollment process will be done online - Click HERE to see Enrollment Instructions. The window for the 2022-2023 School Year will not be available until Monday, January 3, 2022. If you do not have access to a computer, a computer station is available for public use at the Enrollment Office located in the Willson Building, 404 West Main St., Room 139. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Please call Ana Esparza, Enrollment Secretary, at 406-522-6005 with any questions.

Link to District Policy #3111