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By TYLER RALEY | Staff Writer

Shelby County Schools has announced that registration is open for its Shelby County First Class Pre-K program for the 2025-2026 school year.

Within Shelby County Schools, programs are present at five different locations, including Inverness Elementary, Oak Mountain Elementary, Shelby Elementary, Vincent Elementary and Wilsonville Elementary. Each site has approximately 18 spots available for the year.

The program is open to any child who is four years of age on Sept. 1 of the school year they are being registered for. Those who are already eligible to be in kindergarten will not be eligible to be registered for pre-K.

The registration will be held until March, at which time each of the six school programs will hold a lottery drawing. The drawing will be public, and all those who register are welcome to attend. However, registering at an earlier time does not increase the chances of a child receiving admission.

Should a child not be selected, they will be placed on  a randomly generated waitlist, and if a spot becomes available, parents will be notified by the school.

Each enrollee must provide a copy of their child’s birth certificate, a proof of residence and an immunization record in order to complete registration.

For the public schools, there are zoning requirements that determine which program a child can attend. If a parent has questions or concerns, they can contact the school.

Parents interested in joining the pre-registration lottery can visit Prek.alaceed.alabama.gov.