New Student Registration Now Open, April 19, 2021 to June 18, 2021

Desert Sands Unified School District, serving the communities of Bermuda Dunes, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, and parts of Coachella and Rancho Mirage, is now enrolling all students eligible to attend a DSUSD school including transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, the dual immersion program, and students new to our schools. Parents are to call the school their child will be attending for information on how to complete the student registration process including picking up a registration packet.

Kindergarten registration opens on April 19 and is available for children who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2021. (Note that DSUSD offers a dual immersion program of English/Spanish at two elementary schools, Ronald Reagan in Palm Desert and Andrew Jackson in Indio. Information on registering for this program is available at the school sites.) Transitional kindergarten registration also opens on April 19 for children who will have their 5th birthday between September 2 and December 2 of that school year. Both transitional kindergarten and kindergarten in Desert Sands Unified School District are full day programs. Registration packets are for transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, the dual immersion program, and any student attending a DSUSD school for the  first time. Contained in the registration packet are forms needed to enroll your students. The following documents will need to accompany completed forms.

The following documents are required for a complete registration:

Proof of residency – one of the following is required:

  • Current utility bill (gas or electric) with physical address – post office box is not acceptable
  • Lease or rental agreement on letterhead, listing name of the parent/guardian
  • Escrow papers listing the name of the parent/guardian; closing date must be within four (4) weeks of the start of the school term
  • Affidavit of residency from the person with whom the guardian and student are residing, and a current utility bill (gas or electric) of that resident, and a copy of both parties’ driver licenses.

Proof of birthdate – one of the following is required:  

  • Birth Certificate
  • Hospital Certificate
  • Notarized Affidavit
  • Baptismal Record/Church Certificate
  • Physician’s Certificate
  • Other: Adoption Papers, Court Decree, Passport

Immunization record – one of the following is required. See below for a full list of required            immunizations.

  • Stamped immunization booklet with dates and physician signature for all required immunizations
  • Copy of a school immunization card.

Proof of guardianship if student does not live with parents – one of the following is required:

  • Legal Guardianship – court ordered (foster care, etc.)
  • Affidavit of parental responsibility (signature must be witnessed)

Definition: Any person with whom the minor is residing and with whom the parent/guardian is in agreement and who is willing to complete the form.

  • ·Caregiver’s authorization affidavit (signature must be witnessed by school district official)

Definition:  a “qualified relative” of the minor child and with whom the minor child resides and the parents are not accessible to give consent. (F.C. Div 11, Sect. 6550).

“Qualified relative” means a spouse, parent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, half-brother, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, first cousin, or any person denoted by the prefix, “grand” or “great,” or the spouse of any of the persons specified in this definition, even after the marriage has been terminated by death or dissolution.

Transcripts (for high school registration only)

Withdrawal grades (if applicable)

Approved transfer (if student lives outside the school boundaries)

Immunization requirements for all students grades TK/K-6

  • DTP – five (5) doses (four (4) doses allowable if one is given on or after the 4th birthday. Three (3) doses if one was given on or after the 7th birthday
  • Polio – Four (4) doses at any age (Three (3) doses are allowable if one was given on or after the 4th birthday)
  • Hepatitis B – Three (3) doses (Not required for 7th grade entry)
  • MMR – Two (2) doses both given on or after the 1st birthday
  • Varicella – Two (2) doses

Medical exemption issued through the California Immunization Registry – Medical Exemption website (CAIR-ME) by physicians licensed in California.

REQUIREMENTS FOR 7-12th grade

  • Requirements listed above for TK/K-6
  • Tdap – One (1) dose given on or after the 7th birthday

 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR KINDERGARTEN/TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN, and GRADE 1 

  • Physical examination – (form PM 171A) – completed within six (6) months of the date the child is entering kindergarten/transitional kindergarten, or within 18 months of entering grade 1. Note: if the child has a preschool exam under Medi-Cal or CHDP, he/she may not be eligible for another exam for one or two years. If a physical exam is not available or possible, parents must sign the enclosed waiver (form PM 171B).
  • Dental Exam – oral health assessment completed by a licensed dental professional for children entering public school for the first time at kindergarten/transitional kindergarten or first (1st) grade. The exam may be completed 12 months prior to school entry or by May 31 of the school year during which the child is enrolled. If a dental exam is not available or possible, parents must sign the enclosed waiver.

Desert Sands Unified School District serves seven communities in the central Coachella Valley: Bermuda Dunes, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, and parts of Coachella and Rancho Mirage. Over 27,000 students in 34 schools are provided with challenging educational choices. DSUSD offers the highest level of opportunity for excellence in the preparation for entry to college as well as a number of career technical education programs (CTE). Academically rigorous programs such as AP (advanced placement), IB (International Baccalaureate Program), and AVID (advancement via individual determination) are offered in both secondary and elementary grades. Information on the district is available at www.dsusd.us. 

Information on registration is available from each school. The following are the district’s elementary schools and their phone numbers. Contact information on middle and high schools can be found on the district website.

Dr. Carreon Academy               760-863-1544               John Kennedy                           760-775-3840
Carrillo Ranch                            760-238-9700              Abraham Lincoln                      760-862-4340
James Carter                               760-862-4370              James Madison                         760-775-3850
Amelia Earhart                           760-200-3720              James Monroe                           760-772-4130
Gerald Ford                                 760-772-4120               Richard Oliphant                       760-834-3231
Benjamin Franklin                     760-238-9424              Ronald Reagan                           760-772-0456
Herbert Hoover                           760-775-3820              Theodore Roosevelt                   760-775-3860
Horizon (K-8 home school)      760-238-9720              Harry S. Truman                        760-777-4230
Andrew Jackson                          760-775-3830              Martin Van Buren                       760-775-3870
Lyndon B. Johnson                     760-863-3680             George Washington Charter     760-862-4350

 

Image Sources

  • Pencils: Pixaby