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Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education

Enrollment Process

How do I enroll my child?

The enrollment in the SDSU Toddler Programs, the SDSU Preschool and SDSU Kindergarten is open to all children in the community and surrounding communities. The SDSU Toddler Programs and the SDSU Preschool Programs are tuition-based. Enrollment requires an application process which can be submitted at any time during the year. If classes are full, a waiting list is formed.

The SDSU Kindergarten is tuition free as it is a collaborative program with the Brookings School District. Annual enrollment for the following fall semester in all programs occurs in the spring of the year during the Brookings School District Kindergarten Screening process. As parent’s complete their child’s paperwork, parents who are interested in placing their child at the SDSU Kindergarten need to complete a SDSU Kindergarten Placement application and turn it into the Brookings School District Screening personnel.

The SDSU Out of School Time Program tuition is determined by an hourly rate. It is open for children who are enrolled in the SDSU Kindergarten.

How do I enroll my child for the first time in the SDSU Toddler Programs or the SDSU Preschool Programs?

Open Enrollment

Families may complete an application for their child(ren) at any time during the year. The electronic enrollment form is a link on this website and will be mailed directly to Laura Gloege, one of the SDSU Preschool Coordinators. Applications are dated and put into a waiting list for each age group of children. Then as enrollment process for the following year begins in the spring (March), Laura begins filling open enrollment spots with those who have submitted enrollment applications throughout the year in chronological order.

When there are open enrollment spaces available in the SDSU Toddler Programs or the SDSU Preschool Programs (i.e. there is not a current waiting list of interested families) the spaces are advertised in the Brookings Register and the Area-wide Shopper. Enrollment spaces are given to interested families on a first come, first served basis. Enrollment may be achieved through:

  1. Completing an online enrollment form located on this page.
  2. Calling Laura Gloege, Coordinator of the SDSU Preschool at 605-688-6477.
  3. Picking up an enrollment form located outside of Laura's Offce (Pugsley Center 133), complete it and return it to Laura Gloege's office door.
  4. Send form via mail to: Laura Gloege, Pugsley Center 133; SDSU; Brookings, SD; 57007.
  5. Email to Laura Gloege.

After submitting an enrollment, the SDSU Preschool Coordinator will contact you to confirm the submission and to discuss the status of an open enrollment space. Once an enrollment place has been confirmed, a $30 nonrefundable enrollment deposit is required.

What if there are no open enrollment spaces available, may I still submit an enrollment form for the SDSU Toddler Programs or the SDSU Preschool Programs?

Waiting List Enrollment

The SDSU Toddler Programs and the SDSU Preschool Programs do have ongoing waiting lists at most times during the year. Families who have indicated their interest in enrolling their child throughout the year are contacted in April to either offer an open enrollment space – if one is available, or to inquire about their continuing interest to enroll their child if a space is not available at that time. Children are automatically moved onto the SDSU Preschool Programs waiting list, if they have been on the SDSU Toddler Programs waiting list and family members show interest in continuing to have their child on the waiting list.

Including your child on the waiting list may be achieved through:

  1. Completing an online enrollment form located on this page.
  2. Calling Laura Gloege, Coordinator of the SDSU Preschool at 605-688-6477.
  3. Email to Laura Gloege.

After submitting an enrollment, the SDSU Preschool Coordinator will contact you to confirm the submission and waiting list entry.

If my child is already enrolled for the fall semester, do I need to reenroll my child for the spring semester?

No, once your child is enrolled for an academic year, your child has a space in the class for the entire academic year. At the end of the fall semester, if a family would like to switch from morning to afternoon or afternoon to morning, or if the child will not be returning, then please tell your child's Mentor Teacher or contact the Coordinators, so that appropriate plans may be made. If there are openings in the morning or afternoon preschool programs at mid-year, all requests to move programs are considered and responded to in a timely manner.

If my child is enrolled in the SDSU Toddler Programs or SDSU Preschool Programs and I would like for my child to continue attending the next year, do I need to re-enroll my child?

Yes, in the spring of every year, if you would like for your child to continue at the Fishback Center, then you will need to complete a re-enrollment form which will be distributed by your child's Mentor Teacher.

Re-Enrollment Process

Families of children already enrolled in the SDSU Toddler Programs and the SDSU Preschool Programs are given first choice to re-enroll at the Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education for the following school year. This process begins at the beginning of March. Families receive a re-enrollment letter and a re-enrollment form. A $30 nonrefundable deposit will be required at the time of re-enrollment. This deposit is counted toward your child’s fall tuition amount.

How do I enroll my child in the SDSU Kindergarten Program?

Each year, the Brookings School District holds a Kindergarten Screening process in March/April. Families who are interested in enrolling their child in the SDSU Kindergarten Program should indicate this choice during the Kindergarten Screening process by completing an SDSU Kindergarten Placement Application form. Families have a choice of location, in their area K-3 school or the SDSU Kindergarten Program. Open enrollment for children to be placed in the SDSU Kindergarten Program is also possible. If you are interested in open enrollment, please contact the Brookings School District at 605-696-4700 for more information.

Enrollment in the SDSU Kindergarten Program is established by the Brookings School District through a lottery process. It is considered a parental choice alternative placement. Given it is considered a parental choice alternative placement, the SDSU Kindergarten Program does not have school bus service for arrival and departure times. Transportation arrangements is the responsibility of the families. For families who need to arrange alternate transportation, the BATA bus or car-pooling with other families enrolled are options that have been used in the past. 

Once I know that my child will be attending the SDSU Kindergarten Program, how do I enroll my child in extended care provided by the SDSU Out of School (OST) Program?

Enrollment in the SDSU OST Program is open to all children who are enrolled in the SDSU Kindergarten Program. Enrollment information is given out at Little Visitors' Day when children and families visit the kindergarten classroom in the spring prior to their kindergarten school year. Families who are interested in enrolling their child in the SDSU OST Program may complete and return the enrollment form to Jen Johnson, Pugsley Center 131. For more information, please call Jen Johnson at 605-688-4751.