Enrollment for Returning Students

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 returning students. Links to all necessary documents are located in the sections below.

Kindergarten and preschool enrollment for 2021-22 began on March 1, 2021. Returning students who will be in grades 1-12 may begin enrolling for 2021-22 on May 3, 2021.

Reminders for Returning Families

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

► 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 2021-22 is Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021.

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 "Returning Student"

A student is a "returning student" if he or she did attend a District 401 school during the previous school year, including John Mills for preschool or one of our alternative schools.

For the purposes of 2021-22 enrollment, this means a student is considered "returning" if he or she was enrolled as a District 401 student during 2020-21.

If your student did not attend a District 401 school in 2020-21, please see the New/Transfer Students page.

If Your Child Is a Returning Student

All returning students must enroll again if they want to attend a District school in 2021-22. As mentioned above, enrollment in District 401 is a three-step process:

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

For more information about these steps, please scroll down this page and click the rows labeled "Step 1: Proof of Residency," "Step 2: Payment of Fees" and "Step 3: Consents."

Parents of returning students should email their residency information to:

► registration@epcusd401.org

Parents should then go into the parent portal of PowerSchool to sign the consent forms. These forms are the Digital Citizenship Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) Contract and the District Policies for Student Handbooks Parent/Student Sign-Off Sheet 

When Does the Enrollment Process Begin?

If you are the parent of a returning student enrolling in kindergarten or preschool for 2021-22, you may send in your residency documents starting March 1, 2021.

If you are the parent of a returning student enrolling in grades 1-12 for 2021-22, you may send in your residency documents starting May 3, 2021.

Fees have been pre-loaded into the D401 webstore so that you may begin paying your 2021-22 fees right away on May 3. You have the option to make partial or full payment until the final due date. Payment is due in full by Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021.

For your convenience, you will find links to PDF copies of all necessary enrollment documents by scrolling down to the row titled "District 401 Forms & Documents." Consult the other rows below that for access to documents that pertain specifically to your child's school.