Enrollment for New/Transfer Students

UPDATE FOR ALL NEW STUDENTS (posted April 27, 2020): Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-21 registration for all incoming new students in preschool through grade 12 will be completed electronically. For more information about this, please go to the section below titled If Your Child Is a New Student (click the preceding link to get there without scrolling) and then click the row labeled "Instructions for Kindergarten & Preschool Students" or "Instructions for New Students in Grades 1-12" as needed.

All District 401 students, whether new or returning, must enroll in the District each school year. The enrollment process is also known as "registration." This three-step process involves:

► Proof of residency
► Payment of school fees
► Submission of consent forms

This page describes the enrollment process for new students, including transfers. Links to all necessary documents are located in the sections below.

Are You New to District 401?

District 401 public schools serve residents of Elmwood Park only. You must prove residency to enroll your child in one of our four schools.

Beginning in August 2020:

► Grades 9-12 attend Elmwood Park High School.
► Grades 6-8 attend Elm Middle School.
► Grades K-5 south of the railroad tracks attend Elmwood Elementary School.
► Grades K-5 north of the railroad tracks attend John Mills Elementary School.
► Grades PK3 & PK4 (preschool) attend John Mills Elementary School.

The first day of school for 2020-21 is Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. 

If You Are Homeless

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 Dr. Kari Smith, Assistant Superintendent for Student Services. She can be reached at smithk@epcusd401.org.

Definition of "New Student"

A student is a "new student" if he or she did not attend a District 401 school the previous school year. For the purposes of 2020-21 enrollment, this means a student is new if he or she did not attend school in the District during 2019-20.

If your student attended a District 401 school in 2019-20, including the Early Childhood Center or one of our alternative schools, please see our Returning Students page.

If Your Child Is a New Student

All new students must enroll in the District before they can attend a D401 school. As noted above, enrollment is a three-step process that consists of:

(1) Proof of residency
(2) Payment of school fees
(3) Submission of consent forms

Information about these steps and about key dates is located in the rows below. 

If your child will be entering kindergarten or preschool in 2020-21, please start by reading the row titled "Instructions for New Students in Kindergarten or Preschool."

If your child will be entering any grade other than kindergarten or preschool in 2020-21, please start by reading the row titled "Instructions for New Students in Grades 1-12."

After reading the instructions that apply to your child, please consult the other rows below for access to forms and documents that pertain to your child's enrollment, beginning with "District 401 Forms & Documents."