North Carolina public schools serve every child who comes to their doors, as long as that child is 5 years old on or before August 31st. Programs are available statewide for children with special needs--including academically gifted children. Typically, any child who is 5 years old on or before August 31st will be enrolled in kindergarten. To enroll, a child needs proof of immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, mumps, and red and German measles. Certain exemptions are possible for extenuating health or religious reasons. All students need proof of a current physical examination when enrolling in North Carolina schools for the first time. Children are enrolled in the school district in which they live, and school assignments are made by the local school system. Schools provide a wide-range of academic opportunities, as well as support services. School lunch and breakfast are usually offered for a nominal fee. Free school bus transportation, to students who live more than 1.5 miles from school, and free use of textbooks also are provided.

If you are interested in pursuing early admission to Kindergarten, please be advised it is the parent's responsibility to obtain evaluations and provide them to the school. More information can be found by clicking here.

The General Assembly requires a minimum of 185 instructional days for students or a minimum of 1,025 hours of instruction covering at least nine calendar months. It is a local decision, not the state's, to determine the length of the school day and the school year. Instructional days may be scheduled for any day except Sunday. To see the Rowan-Salisbury School System Calendar see the calendar link in the main menu.

The best way to find information about any elementary school in Rowan-Salisbury School System is to visit the school so that you can find out first-hand. You can find links to each school's site at the top of this page. There is information on the North Carolina Public School web site about the performance of schools on the state's school-based accountability program (called the ABCs of Public Education). To view the results, click here and follow the links to the information about the school you are interested in. The state's school-based accountability is based on test results in reading, mathematics, and writing in grades 3-5. Schools receive rewards and recognition based on a) academic growth/gain and b) absolute performance. If you choose to review these results you should first read the Executive Summary for the ABCs Results to better understand the school-based accountability and the classification of schools.