Pre-Kindergarten Registration is OPEN!

Pre-Kindergarten registration is OPEN! All children who will be 4 years of age on or before September 1, 2024 and reside in Lancaster City or Lancaster Township are eligible to apply for pre-kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year. Please note that spaces are limited, and enrollment is based on need, not on a first come, first served basis. Apply now!

APPLY NOW!

Our commitment doesn't end with the bell

The School District of Lancaster provides comprehensive programs beyond the school day and over the summer to keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, avoid the “summer slide” and help working families. Together, these programs provide hundreds of hours of academic enrichment, social and emotional development and hands-on learning led by district teachers and support staff as well as important community partners like Lancaster REC and the YMCA.

Learn More:

Lancaster Rec

Extended Day Programs

SDoL’s Extended Day Programs offer a variety of free, onsite academic intervention and enrichment activities for students in school buildings across the district when school is not in session.  The district prioritizes increased student achievement and makes free tutoring services available to students most in need.  Nearly 3,000 students in grades PreK-12 participate during the school year in the district’s Extended Day Programs before school, after school, and/or on Saturdays.

Because multiple funding sources are combined in this effort, the Extended Day Programs may look different from building to building, within each level, and from year to year.  The program design takes into account the student needs at each building and may include tutoring sessions, academic enrichment, social-emotional, and recreational activities that support the development of the whole child.

The programs are fortunate to have commitment from qualified district teachers and support staff, who know the students well and are willing to stay after school hours each day to deliver additional high quality instruction.  Although they may be given time and support to get started on homework, students will likely still need time at home to complete the rest of their daily school assignments.  Each day, students are served a healthy snack.  School bus transportation may be available at some locations.

While consistent attendance is encouraged, the program offers open enrollment during the school year.  Registering for the Extended Day Program is as easy as completing a Registration Packet available at each school.  Though capacity may be limited, we make every effort to accommodate student interest in participating.  Lead Tutors are program contacts at each district building and will follow up with families once a student is registered to provide a start date and program details.

Summer Programs

Children without access to summer learning opportunities may lose two months of reading and mathematical skills.  Over time, this contributes to the achievement gap between children from high- and low-income families.

Each year, the School District of Lancaster supports a wide variety of summer programs whose goals are to reduce summer learning loss and which serve over 1500 students.  These summer programs are vetted through a formal proposal process to ensure that limited district resources are allocated to quality summer learning experiences for students enrolled in the district.

McCaskey Campus Summer School is offered each summer to high school students who need to recover a course credit or who wish to earn advanced credit to enable them to graduate from McCaskey Campus with their cohort.  There is a registration fee for this summer school.

Middle Level Summer School is also offered each summer to middle school students who are in danger of failing a grade level.  Success in summer school allows students to stay on track to persist in high school toward on-time graduation.

Depending on the availability of funds, the district may support additional summer programs that foster career and college awareness, STEM learning, English language development, or reduce the “summer slide”.

Summer program enrollment is often limited.  Please look for information from your school or contact your school to find out which summer programs your student may be eligible to attend.