Early Entrance

Early Entrance in Hawthorn School District 73 allows eligible children to start kindergarten or first grade earlier than the usual age. Here is what you need to know:

Age Requirement

Children must be five years old by Sept. 1 of their kindergarten year to enroll. However, children born between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31 may qualify for early enrollment.

Assessment Process

Children considered for early enrollment will undergo assessments using FastBridge (EarlyReading, EarlyMath). The child must score at or above the 90th percentile for spring benchmarks of the intended grade (Kindergarten or 1st grade). Children will also undergo a formalized, academic assessment (KTEA). They must score at or above the 95th percentile of the intended grade (Kindergarten or 1st grade).  The child will be screened using the DECA-P2, Teacher Rating and must score at least in the Typical range. The child's ability to transition from their parent/guardian, and their response to the evaluation are also considered.  If the child is from a multilingual household, an additional appointment will be scheduled to participate in a language screener. 

Parent/Guardian Involvement

Parents/Guardian will be asked to complete a questionnaire about their child.  They will also sign a Release of Information to allow communication with the child’s prior school, preschool, or childcare provider.

Review and Decision

Our district team, including administrators and teachers, will review the assessments, academic performance, and social-emotional development of the child.

Children must meet or exceed all requirements to be promoted to the desired grade level.

Parent/Guardian will be made aware of the decision prior to July 1, 2026.

No Prep Needed

Your child does not need to prepare for the assessment. Please note, the team's decision is final.

How to Apply

Submit the Early Entrance Request form to the district by the end of April. Parent/Guardian will be contacted to schedule the next steps in the process.