Enrollment & Fees

A student is "new" if he or she did NOT attend a District 401 school the previous school year OR if the student is entering preschool or kindergarten. 

A student entering preschool or kindergarten is considered "new" even if he or she attended the Early Childhood Center the previous year.

A student is "returning" if he or she is entering 1st grade or above and DID attend a District 401 school the previous year.

All District 401 students must be Elmwood Park residents by the start of the school year. A student's residence is the same as the person who has legal custody of the student.

The District's residency requirement and related procedures are governed by Section 7:60 of the Board of Education's District Policy Manual.

Families must submit District 401's Proof of Residency Form. This form can be obtained here, and it requires three supporting documents. See the form for details.

A student's proof of residency must be supplied to District 401, or the student will be not be scheduled for classes. This requirement applies to all students, new and returning.

All new students must enroll in the District before they can attend a D401 school. Enrollment is a three-step process:

► Proof of residency
► Payment of fees
► Consents

New students and their parents/guardians can find information about these steps and all necessary enrollment forms for 2019-20 at Enrollment for New/Transfer Students.

PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS

Students must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1 to register for kindergarten. Children who are 3 or 4 years old may register for preschool. Morning or afternoon sessions of kindergarten and preschool are offered.

Enrollment for preschool and kindergarten students begins in early March and resumes in late July after a brief summer hiatus. No appointment is necessary.

For the 2019-20 school year, enrollment for preschool and kindergarten students began on Friday, March 8, 2019, and will continue except for a brief hiatus from June 13 to July 23. Enrollment will resume on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. 

No appointment is necessary — walk in Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The first day of school for 2019-20 is Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019.

 NEW STUDENTS IN GRADES 1-12

Enrollment for new students in grades 1-12 begins in late July each year. Parents or guardians of new students should print out and complete all required District forms and then call their home school for an appointment.

For the 2019-20 school year, enrollment for new students in grades 1-12 begins Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

The first day of school for 2019-20 is Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019.

All returning students must re-enroll in District 401 in order to attend a District school again the following year. Enrollment is a three-step process:

► Proof of residency
► Payment of fees
► Consents

Information and forms concerning these steps will be sent to current students each spring.

Returning students and their parents/guardians can find additional enrollment information as well as all necessary forms for 2019-20 at Enrollment for Returning Students.

PROOF OF RESIDENCY FOR RETURNING STUDENTS

All proof of residency documents for 2019-20 returning students must be received by Monday, July 22, 2019, or your student will not be scheduled for classes. Please email, fax or mail your documents to us and pay your fees on the D401 webstore.

The first day of school for 2019-20 is Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019.

WALK-IN, DROP-OFF ENROLLMENT FOR RETURNING STUDENTS

An opportunity for walk-in, drop-off enrollment for 2019-20 returning students is available on our open enrollment date: Monday, July 22, 2019, from 1 to 7 p.m. at Elmwood Park High School.

Please note that this is the ONLY opportunity for walk-in, drop-off enrollment that returning students will have for 2019-20. To avoid long lines, please email, fax or mail your documents to us and pay your fees online via the D401 webstore.

Any homeless child shall be immediately admitted to District 401, even if the child or child's parent/guardian is unable to produce records normally required to establish residency. 

District 401's liaison for homeless children is Director of Student Services Dr. Kari Smith. If you have questions about enrolling a homeless child in District 401, Ms. Smith can be reached by phone at 708-583-5836 or by email at this address.

As stated in Section 6:140 of the Board of Education's District Policy Manual, a homeless child may attend the District 401 school that the child attended when permanently housed or in which the child was last enrolled. A homeless child living in any District 401 school’s attendance area may attend that school.

A "homeless child" is defined as provided in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the Illinois Education for Homeless Children Act. See our Enrollment If Homeless page for more information.

Enrollment/registration and payment information will be mailed to District students who attend alternative schools. 

If you have not received your materials, please contact Ms. Nancy Lasselle in the District Office. She can be reached by phone at 708-583-5831 or by email at this address.

Enrollment in District 401 requires the payment of school fees. The amount for each school is set by the District 401 Board of Education. A complete list of school fees for 2019-20 is available here.

Full payment for students in grades K-12 is due Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019. Monthly payments are available for preschool students. 

New students in K-12 who arrive after the due date have 30 days to pay their fees after they enroll in the District. As mentioned above, monthly payments are available for preschool students.

Waivers are available for most school fees if you meet the income eligibility requirements. Please note, however, that preschool tuition cannot be waived.

The terms "school fees" and "fees" mean any monetary charge collected by District 401 from a student or the parent(s)/guardian(s) of a student as a prerequisite for the student’s participation in any curricular or extracurricular program of the district. 

The District does not impose a "fee" when it requires that a student provide his or her own ordinary supplies of materials (e.g., pencil, paper, notebooks), which are necessary to participate in any curricular or extracurricular program.

School fees for the 2019-20 school year have been set as follows:

► Pre-Kindergarten: $3,000 (monthly payments available)
► Kindergarten: $170
► Grades 1-8 (John Mills, Elmwood, Elm): $200
► Elmwood Park High School: $350
► Co-op/Alternative School: $50

Other fees for the 2019-20 school year include but are not limited to the following:

► EPHS Senior Graduation Fee: $60
(This fee is NOT eligible to be waived; the graduation fee is preloaded to your student's webstore account)

► EPHS Advanced Placement Test Fee: $85 each
(This is only for students enrolled in AP classes; fees will be loaded into student accounts over winter break)

► Driver's Education Fee: $275
(This is for sophomore Behind-the-Wheel)

► New Students | Fee Schedule and Payment Form
► Returning Students | Fee Schedule and Payment Form

School fees along with other monies due to the school (lost books, book fines, etc.) typically must be paid in full by early in the fall semester. 

For the 2019-20 school year, the due date for students in grades K-12 to make full payment is Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019. Preschool tuition cannot be waived, but the amount can be paid in 10 monthly installments of $300, due on the first of each month.

Returning students may begin paying their 2019-20 fees on Monday, May 6, 2019.  

New students in grades K-12 who enter District 401 after the due date will have 30 days to pay all fees after they have enrolled in the District (unless they are eligible for fee waivers). Preschool tuition cannot be waived, but the amount can be paid in monthly installments, due on the first of each month.

You can pay by mail with a check or money order, or you can pay online with a credit or debit card via the District's webstore. (In the case of returning students, school fees have been preloaded to their webstore accounts.) 

With either method you can pay by installments as long as your total amount is received by the final due date.

If your child is a new student, you may pay your 2019-20 fees in person at your home school.

If your child is a returning student, you may pay your 2019-20 school fees in person with cash, credit, debit, money order or check during the open enrollment day scheduled for Monday, July 22, 2019, from 1 to 7 p.m. at Elmwood Park High School. Please bring copies of your proofs of residency and all required forms with you.

For more information about payment methods, visit the School Fees page on the District 401 home site.

NOTE: Although returning students have the option of enrolling and paying in person on open enrollment day, we recommend that you mail, scan or fax in your residency documents and pay your fees online.

Use this link to access District 401's online payment system — aka, the D401 webstore.

Use this link for information about applying for a fee waiver. Please note that preschool tuition ($3,000) cannot be waived, although monthly payments can be used.

District 401's procedures related to the waiver of student fees are governed by Section 4:140 of the Board of Education's District Policy Manual.

If a student leaves the District after paying all required fees, the following refund policy applies: 

► 75 percent refund if the student leaves by the end of the first week of school
► 50 percent if the student leaves by the end of the second week
► 25 percent if the student leaves by the end of the third week
► Zero if the student leaves after the end of the third week