Registration

Each spring, parents or guardians receive a notification regarding registration for the upcoming fall. Parents are asked to prove residence within district boundaries and to review their child’s information to register in District 54 for the next school year. If you have a parent portal account, you can register online through the parent portal at that time. 

Families new to District 54 must provide documented proof of their residence within the boundaries of the district to enroll a child in District 54 schools for the first time and every year thereafter during registration. All documents provided must be current and reflect your name and address within District 54 boundaries.

For existing families, the district attempts to verify the address information electronically. If that is not possible, you will have the ability to upload your residency electronically through your portal account. If you do not have a portal account, you can also email the required documents to [email protected].

Provide a copy of at least one of the following documents:

• the most recent real estate tax bill, mortgage statement or closing statement (if within 90 days) for the residence showing the owner as the taxpayer;
• a signed lease for the residence including a beginning and end date and/or Section 8 letter; or
• military housing letter.

In addition, provide a current copy of at least two of the following documents:

• Illinois driver’s license, state ID or automobile registration;
• gas, water, electric, internet, television, telephone/cellular phone bill or letter confirming service connection;
• public assistance documentation;
• bank statement;
• home or vehicle insurance certificate;
• employment pay stub/wage statement;
• physician or hospital statement.

Any person asserting legal custody over a student, who is not the student’s parent or legal guardian, must provide current documentation from a court supporting the student custody arrangement.

Students who are in a temporary living situation may attend school in the district pursuant to provisions of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Learn more about McKinney-Vento.

For visual examples of necessary documents for registration, view one of the Preparing to Register Your Child fliers below.

• Preparing to Register Your Child (English)
• Preparing to Register Your Child (Spanish)
• Preparing to Register Your Child (Japanese)
• Preparing to Register Your Child (Gujarati)
• Preparing to Register Your Child (Russian)
• Preparing to Register Your Child (Polish)
• Preparing to Register Your Child (Ukrainian)

Families should notify the school secretary if they move to another location within the district, so that records can be forwarded to the new school, and must prove residency at the new address. Families may request permission for the student to finish out the school year at the original school by submitting a request in writing to the school principal. If permission is granted, families are responsible for providing transportation, and ensuring that behavior, tardiness and absenteeism do not become a problem. Approvals are for the remainder of the school year.

Whenever possible, students are assigned to the school nearest their home. However if the number of students at a particular school causes class sizes to be unusually larger than the district average, a designated residential area may be assigned to a District 54 school in another attendance area. The School Board annually reviews school boundary lines and class utilization plans for assignment of students to schools.

Under certain conditions, a parent’s request for re-assignment to a school other than the student’s base school may be approved. Approval will be granted only if the grade level to which the child seeks re-assignment is not overcrowded. Should a parent’s request for re-assignment be approved, the parent will be required to provide transportation to and from school. Approval is typically granted in August. Requests must be made annually to the school principal before May 1. If enrollment numbers increase, a principal may deny new or continuing requests. District 54 reserves the right to revoke approval if a student’s attendance, behavior or tardiness becomes problematic or if District 54 determines that the transportation arranged by the parent poses a safety issue.

Instead of attending their neighborhood school, students who live in District 54 and are registered to attend District 54 schools can apply to attend one of our schools that offer unique learning opportunities, such as Chinese Immersion, Japanese Dual Language and Spanish Dual Language.

For more information about the Open Enrollment process and programs, visit the Open Enrollment page.

The District 54 Preschool for All (PFA) program is a state funded program designed to serve the most at-risk 3- to 5-year-old preschool children in our community. Program eligibility is determined upon multiple at-risk factors identified through a screening process. In addition, the Early Learning Center provides special education and related services for qualifying students. The district does not offer a parent-paid preschool program at this time. Please visit the ELC website for more information.

School District 54 follows Illinois School Code which specifies that to enter kindergarten children must be five years of age by September 1 of their kindergarten year and six years of age by September 1 of their first-grade year. The District 54 School Board permits accelerated placement into kindergarten or first grade for students younger than the entrance age requirements only for students who demonstrate high ability pursuant to the Board’s Accelerated Placement Policy. Read more about Accelerated Placement in District 54.