Preschool (Pre-K) & Kindergarten Entrance
Pre-K & Kindergarten Registration for 2025-26
Pre-K Registration:
Pre-K classes are held at all of the county elementary schools and at EACHs Head Start near Romney.
Preschool Students must be 4 years old prior to July 1, 2025 for the 2025-26 school year.
Registration has been completed at the schools, but you can contact the school where your child should attend to check on availability of Pre-School openings for 2025-26. Use the phone numbers below and check on the Interactive Locator Map to determine your district school
Kindergarten Registration:
Students who register for Kindergarten will go to their district school - Capon Bridge, Ice Mountain, South Branch or Windy Ridge. (To locate your district school, use the Interactive Locator Map.)
Kindergarten registration is only for those students who were not enrolled in Preschool. PK studentsenrolled for the previous year will automatically be enrolled in Kindergarten for the next year.
Kindergarten students must be 5 years old prior to July 1, 2025 for the 2025-26 school year.
Prior to entering first grade, WV code requires that a child must have completed a “state-approved” kindergarten program.
For a printable copy of the schedule and other information, please read:
Hampshire County Schools Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration Schedule
Please contact the school secretary to schedule your appointment for Pre-K or Kindergarten registration.
Capon Bridge Elementary - 304-856-3329
Ice Mountain Elementary - 304-496-7069 (Kindergarten only)
South Branch Elementary - 304-822-3018
Windy Ridge Elementary - 304-496-7001
Allow up to 60 minutes for your appointment as there will be screenings for speech, vision, hearing and developmental readiness at the time of registration.
Call the Hampshire County Board of Education at 304-496-2300, ext. 1141, if additional information is needed or you have questions.
Kindergarten & Pre-K Entrance Requirements:
No child can be registered without:
An original birth certificate
Proof of residency
Proof of income
Child's Social Security card
Immunization card or some other written form signed by a physician or the county health nurse, certifying that the child has met the
Important - Both a physical exam and dental screening are required prior to the child's first school entry into PreK or Kindergarten. The completed physical and dental screening forms (below) must both be on file at the school before a child can attend Pre K or Kindergarten in Hampshire County. If the school does not have this information on file, the child will not be able to attend. (If a child did not attend Pre K, the screening information must be given to the school secretary before the first day of Kindergarten in August.)
Application & Required Forms
Pre-K Application (PDF) in PDF format to be filled in on a computer, printed and signed or printed first to completed by hand.
Universal PreK Sites (PDF) to print, circle & number 1st, 2nd & 3rd site choices and include with PreK application.
Please review the Hampshire County Universal Pre-K Selection Criteria (PDF) needs-based criteria scale to understand the scoring used to determine placement.
Dental Screening Form (PDF) - required at first entry in Pre-K or Kindergarten
Physical Screening Form (PDF) - required at first entry in Pre-K or Kindergarten
The application must be completed for consideration for admittance to Pre-K. Applications are scored using needs-based criteria and scores will determine placement as space is limited. Parents should indicate their first 3 preferences for Pre-K school locations on the Universal Pre-K Sites Selection Sheet (above). However, when a school site has reached capacity, children may be assigned to a different site that has openings.
EACHS Head Start
EACHS Head Start located at 161 Bill Taylor Rd., Romney, offers preschool programs for three-year-old children and four-year-old children. Children must be three years old prior to July 1 or four years old prior to July 1 of the school year in which they apply.
Hampshire County Universal Preschool Program
Hampshire County Universal Preschool programs serve children who are four years old prior to July 1 of the current school year.
Some three-year-olds are placed in the Hampshire County Preschool classrooms if they have been identified with delays. For more information please call Hampshire County Schools Special Education Office at 304-469-2300, ext. 1190.
Tine Test
Kindergarten and first-grade students who have been residents of West Virginia will complete a Tuberculosis (TB) Risk Assessment Form which is in the enrollment packet. If indicated from the assessment form, the student will be referred to the Health Department to determine if a TB Tine test is indicated.
Helpful Information & Links
Online links to all state agencies for birth certificates
Hampshire County Health Department (for immunization information) in Augusta (phone: 304-496-9640)
Great Resource for young children in West Virginia from the Department of Health and Human Resources: Help Me Grow - West Virginia - includes free referral service that connects families with critical developmental resources for their children from birth through five years of age. The goal of Help Me Grow is to successfully identify children at-risk and link them to the help they need.
For further Infomation call Patty Lipps, Pre-K through 5th grade Curriculum/Title I Director at 304-496-2300, ext. 1141.