Voluntary Pre-K
CMCSS began accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year on April 4, 2023.
The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System offers Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten classes on an application basis as established by the Tennessee Department of Education.
Voluntary Pre-K classes promote a high-quality academic environment, which fosters the love and joy of learning and promotes success in kindergarten and throughout the child’s life.
For questions about Voluntary Pre-K, please contact Melinda Smith at [email protected].
Information to Review
Children do have to be 4 years old by or on August 15 of the current year to qualify.
If you don’t have access to a laptop or a desktop computer, please contact Melinda Smith, Pre-K Coordinator, at 931-648-5653 to schedule a time to come to the Learning Center and use a district laptop.
Parents and guardians who wish to apply for the CMCSS Voluntary Pre-K Program (VPK), should review the following process:
- VPK applications will open in the Spring of each year. CMCSS will announce application periods before the online portal opens.
- Income guidelines for Voluntary Pre-K.
- Once the online application opens, visit parents.cmcss.net and choose “Enroll.” Then choose “VPK.”
- Once the Pre-K team receives your application, one of the team members will contact you via email to meet via Zoom to verify your family’s income and the child’s birth certificate.
- If you qualify for the CMCSS VPK program, you will receive an email from the Pre-K Coordinator at the beginning of July if you have been accepted. If you qualify but are on the waiting list, your email in July will state that you are on the waiting list. If we have a spot become available, we will contact you throughout the year.
- Our VPK program is a grant-funded program. You do have to meet the income requirements that the state has set forth to qualify for a spot.
- A month’s worth of pay stubs (TN requires gross income; therefore pay-stub must show gross income)
- Military: most recent LES (TN requires both BAH & Base pay to be added)
- Recent food stamp letter (must show eligibility dates, case number, and parent’s name)
- SS award letter
2021 Income Tax (form 1040 or W2) - Unemployment benefits
- Disability benefits.
Peer Model Program
Our peer model program is for peer to attend one of our special education PreK classrooms to serve as peer models for our students receiving special education services. Both programs use the same curriculum, the teachers and EA’s train together, they both have the same scope and sequence, amongst other things.
Parents and guardians who are interested in their child participating in the Peer Model Program, please follow these steps:
- Please fill out the information from this link – Peer Model Application
- To be considered as a Peer Model, the child(ren) can’t be receiving any type of therapy (ST, OT, PT, etc.) or have an active IEP.
- Once we receive this information, we will be in contact to schedule a screener
- Students must be four-years-old on or before August 15
- Please contact Melinda Smith – Pre-K Coordinator, [email protected] for more information.
Application Requirements
Students must be 4 years old on or before August 15, 2023 to be enrolled in Pre-K for the 2023-24 school year. Families will be asked to provide documentation to determine if they meet the income requirements set by the state. Pre-K classes will be filled using the guidelines set forth by the State of Tennessee for Voluntary Pre-K:
1) The Grantee shall enroll children residing in the geographic area served by the Grantee who are four (4) years of age on or before August 15 for the current school year and who are at risk. For purposes of this program, at risk shall be defined as follows:
a) Children who qualify as economically disadvantaged per the Income Eligibility application and income guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, regardless of the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) status; or
b) Are dependent children, as defined by T.C.A. § 49-6-101(f)(1)(A) whose parent was killed, died as a direct result of injuries received as a result of war, or is or has been officially reported as a prisoner of war or missing in action.
2) Subject to availability of space and resources after exhausting all efforts to enroll at risk four (4) year-olds (as defined by A.1. Student Eligibility), the Grantee may enroll additional students who don’t meet the income eligibility requirements but are residing in the geographic area served by the Grantee in accordance with the following priorities and in accordance with guidelines set by the TDOE:
a) Children who are four (4) years of age on or before August 15 for the current school year with disabilities, students identified as English Learners (EL), in state custody, or who are screened and identified as educationally at-risk, determined pursuant to 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et sec.;
b) Children who are four (4) years of age on or before August 15 for the current school year who have been in the Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) or Even Start program;
3) Enrollment in the VPK program shall be voluntary.
To review the 2021 US Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines, click here.
To read about last year’s application process, visit this page.
Application Directions
Registration for the 2023-2024 school year will begin on April 4, 2023.
To apply:
1) Visit https://parents.cmcss.net/
2) Enter your child’s information, select “Next year, Starting August 2023” next to “For which school year are you enrolling your student?” and click Continue.
(Note: the images below are to be used as an example.)
3) On the next screen, select “PK3” or “PK4” next to “In what grade will your student be when they start their CMCSS school?” and click Continue.
4) Please complete the Pre-K Questionnaire on the next screen and click Continue.
5) After completing the Pre-K Questionnaire, please follow the prompts to complete the rest of the application information.
6) After you have completed all sections of the application, a member of the Pre-K team will contact you to schedule a Zoom meeting during one of the application dates/times below. Please check your spam folder during this time. Additionally, before the scheduled Zoom meeting, please have a copy of your child’s birth certificate and your household’s proof of income available. The following are acceptable proofs of income:
- a month’s worth of pay-stubs (TN requires gross income, therefore pay-stub must show gross income)
- if military, most recent LES (TN requires both BAH & Base pay to be added)
- recent food stamp letter (must show eligibility dates, case# & parent’s name)
- SS award letter
- 2021 Income Tax (form 1040 or W2)
- unemployment benefits
- disability benefits
2023 Voluntary Pre-K Zoom Meeting Dates to Verify Income and Child's Birth Certificate
| April 4, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm | April 22, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm | May 9, 2023, 8 am – 5:30 pm |
| April 5, 2023, 8 am – 5:30 pm | April 24, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm | May 10, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm |
| April 6, 2023, 8 am. – 2 pm | April 25, 2023, 8 am – 5:30 pm | May 11, 2023, 8 am – 5:30 pm |
| April 10, 2023, 12 pm – 4 pm | April 26, 2023, 8 am – 3 pm | May 12, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm |
| April 11, 2023, 8 am – 5:30 pm | April 27, 2023, 8 am – 5:30 pm | May 15 – 18, 2023, 8 am – 5:30 pm |
| April 13, 2023, 8 am – 5:30 pm | April 28, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm | May 19, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm |
| April 14, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm | May 1, 2023, 8 am – 4 pm | May 22-23, 8 am – 5:30 pm |
| April 17, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm | May 2, 2023, 8 am – 5:30 pm | May 24, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm |
| April 18, 2023, 8 am – 5:30 pm | May 3, 2023, 8 am – 5:30 pm | May 25, 2023, 8 am – 5:30 pm |
| April 19, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm | May 4, 2023, 8 am – 5:30 pm | May 26, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm |
| April 20, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm | May 5, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm | May 30-31, 8 am – 5:30 pm |
| April 21, 2023, 8 am – 2 pm | May 8, 2023, 12 pm – 4 pm |
Evaluation for Special Education Services
Parents and guardians who wish to refer their child for an evaluation for special education services, please follow these steps. This would include transfer students, students that are receiving outside therapy, or if the district should schedule a screener.
- “Transfer Referral” – Visit cmcss.net/Pre-K and start the enrollment process. Please choose “transfer” referral if you have a current eligibility/IEP from the location that you are moving from. Please email the current eligibility and IEP to Melinda Smith, Pre-K Coordinator, at [email protected]
- “Parent Referral” – Visit cmcss.net/Pre-K and start the enrollment process. Please choose a “parent” referral if your child is receiving outside therapy and/or if your child isn’t receiving outside therapy and you need to schedule a screener. Please email any outside therapy reports (if applicable) to Melinda Smith, Pre-K Coordinator, at [email protected]
Tennessee Early Intervention Systems
Parents and guardians, if your child is with TEIS (TN Early Intervention Systems), please see below for more information. If your child is receiving services through TEIS, we will have a transition planning conference with the Pre-K Coordinator, your TEIS Service Coordinator, and your Early Interventionist to go over the process from TEIS and the school system.
- Visit cmcss.net/Pre-K and start the enrollment process. Please choose “TEIS” referral. Once we have our TPC and receive information for the referral as well as information from your service coordinator, the Pre-K Coordinator will send this referral to the school for which you are zoned.