Alachua County Public Schools is encouraging parents of students who will be entering a local school for the first time or who will be moving to a new school zone over the summer to register their children now. School in Alachua County starts on Monday, August 20.

Each year hundreds of parents wait until the last minute to register their students, and in some cases they wait until after school has already started. As a result they face crowds and long waits in the front office, and their children miss out on valuable class time.

“It’s important that we begin working with the children from the very first day,” said Hidden Oak Elementary School principal Doris Richardson. “We orient them to the campus and they get to know their teachers and classmates, which gives them a good start on the school year.”

Last year, there were 25,449 students registered for school on the first day of school. On the 10^th day there were 26,422 registered, a difference of nearly 1000 students.

“That creates a significant planning problem for the schools,” said deputy superintendent Sandy Hollinger. “Until the students register, the schools can’t be sure how many teachers they’ll need in each grade and each subject. They also don’t have a clear picture of how many students may need special services, and it’s much harder to arrange for those services after school has started.”

Late registration can also mean fewer class options for students, particularly those in middle and high school, who may find that the courses they want are already full.

To register their child for school, parents should go to their child’s zoned school with documents including the child’s birth certificate, Social Security card, proof of a recent physical, proof of immunizations and two proofs of residence.  All schools are open to register students during the summer, although hours may vary. Parents should call their child’s school to find out when it will be registering students.

Parents who don’t know their child’s zoned school or those who need more information on registration can contact the district’s Zoning Office at 955-7700 or 955-7703, or they can visit the district’s website at www.sbac.edu.