Registration for New Students | Required Documents | McKinney-Vento | Elementary School Placement | Preschool Students | Private School Students | Change of Address
Registration for New Students
Registration for all new students is done through the District Registrar.
- Registering a child to begin school next school year (2024-25): If you need to register your child for the 2024-25 school year, please note that registration for 2024-25 opens in January 2024. Information for parents enrolling students in kindergarten in 2024-25 can be found here.
- Registering a child to begin school in the current school year (2023-24): Parents/guardians may enroll their children for school at any time during the school year.
Only Bethlehem Central residents may enroll in Bethlehem Central Schools. Bethlehem Central does NOT accept tuition students. You must have proof of residency in order to enroll your child. If you do not know whether your residence is within BC school district boundaries or which elementary school is your home school, use this link for school building and district boundaries information. Please note that the district cannot guarantee placement of elementary students at the home elementary school, but will try to accommodate new students who register by March 1.
To register your child:
- Download and complete a registration packet from the list below
- Gather required documents (see information below)
- Return all required paperwork by email, regular mail, fax or dropbox
Registration Packets
- High School/Middle School registration packet [PDF]
- Elementary School (Gr. 1-5) registration packet [PDF]
- Kindergarten registration packet [PDF]
If you have trouble accessing these documents, please call (518) 439-2442.
After you have downloaded and completed the forms, you can return the forms to District Registrar Melissa Haas in one of the following ways:
- Email: Melissa Haas, mhaas@bethlehemschools.org
- Fax: (518) 475-0352
- Regular mail: Melissa Haas, District Registrar, 700 Delaware Ave., Delmar, NY 12054
- Dropbox: A secure dropbox is located at the main entrance (Delaware Ave. side) of the high school.
Required Documents
Along with a completed registration packet, the following documentation is required in order to enroll your child for school at Bethlehem Central:
- A copy of your child’s birth certificate or passport
- Your child’s official immunization record (signed by physician or clinic staff)
- Custody papers, if applicable. (If the student is not your biological child, you must present documentation that proves a permanent and total transfer of custody and control has been achieved.)
- Three proofs of residency within the school district that include the name and address of a parent or guardian and are dated within the previous 30 days.
Proof of residency includes the following:
- Homeowner’s insurance policy – Must be a valid policy with parent/guardian name and address.
- Auto insurance policy – Must be a valid policy with parent/guardian name and address.
- Telephone bill
- Cable television installation receipt
- National Grid bill (2nd page)
- Legal and valid lease agreement – Must contain property owner’s name, address and signature; and name and signature of parent/guardian.
- Home purchase contract – Must contain seller’s name, the address of the property being purchased and the purchaser’s name.
Academic records, including transcripts, recent report cards and any special education plan should be presented at the time of registration or to the school. Please bring the name and mailing address of your child’s previous school to registration.
McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is a federal law that discusses the public education of children and youth in temporary housing. Under McKinney-Vento and state law, students are considered to be in temporary housing if their nighttime residence is not fixed, regular, and adequate. Some examples of temporary housing include: Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship or other similar reason, Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping grounds, Living in emergency or transitional shelters, Abandoned in hospitals, Living in a public or private place not designed for sleeping, Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, etc. Migratory living in circumstances described above.
Students who are protected under the McKinney-Vento Act are entitled to immediate enrollment in school even if they don’t have the documents normally needed, such as proof of residency, school records, immunization records, or birth certificate. Students who are protected under the McKinney-Vento Act may also be entitled to free transportation and other services.
If a student is determined not to be McKinney-Vento eligible, the family and/or student will be notified in writing. If the family and/or student disagrees with this determination, the family and/or student has the right to appeal. The family should contact the district McKinney-Vento liaison for assistance in writing their appeal. Pending appeal, the students will remain enrolled and receive transportation services. McKinney-Vento disputes and appeals must be filed with the New York State Education Department within 30 days of receiving the eligibility letter. The New York State Education Department is the final arbiter and will review the case and make a binding decision.
Elementary School Placement
We cannot guarantee placement at your home elementary school, but will try to accommodate those new students who register by March 1 for the next school year. If a grade at a particular elementary school reaches capacity, it will be necessary to place your child at another BC elementary school for the year, and then return your child to your home school for the remainder of his/her elementary schooling. When a decision is made on your child’s placement, we will contact you as soon as possible. If you have any questions, feel free to call the District Registrar, Melissa Haas, at (518) 439-2442.
Kindergarten Registration
The Bethlehem Central School District offers full-day kindergarten. The district does not offer pre-kindergarten. Registration for the 2023-24 school year will open January 16, 2023.
Kindergarten registration information is mailed each December to all eligible families in the district database. If you are planning to send your child to kindergarten in the district, please fill out a Preschool Student Information Form [electronic form] for your child. If you do not fill out this form your child’s name will not be in our database. Please complete the electronic form so that registration materials will be mailed to you, including a letter that is mailed to parents, which includes information on the documents you will need to register your child for kindergarten. This form is only used for planning purposes and for contact information. It is not a kindergarten registration form.
To register for kindergarten, children must be five years old by December 1 of the year they will start school. For example, children who will turn five between December 2, 2022 and December 1, 2023 will be eligible to start kindergarten in September 2023.
Contact District Registrar Melissa Haas at mhaas@bethlehemschools.org if you have any questions. Once your child is registered for kindergarten, a screening will be scheduled for your child at your home elementary school.
Preschool Students
Bethlehem Central School District is currently a K-12 school district. The district does not offer pre-K programs for three- and four-year-olds. However, it is very important for the district to be aware of preschoolers who reside in the district in order to plan for future kindergarten enrollment. Please notify the District Registrar by email if you have a student who will be of kindergarten age soon. If you are interested having a student evaluated for special education services as a preschooler, please contact the Special Education and Student Services (SESS) office at (518) 439-8886.
Private School Students
The district provides transportation to resident students who attend private or parochial school within 16 miles of their home. Private school students must be registered through the registrar’s office in order to receive transportation services. Please fill out a Private School/Preschool Student Information Form [PDF] and a Private/Parochial School Transportation Request Form [PDF] and send them in together. In addition, you must present three (3) proofs of residency in the district. If your child attends a private/parochial school but you plan to enroll him/her in a Bethlehem Central school for the upcoming school year, you must contact the registrar to register your child (even if your child previously attended a district school). You may register beginning each April for the following school year.
Private School Special Education Services – June 1 Deadline
Pursuant to Education Law section 3602-c, the Bethlehem Central School District will arrange for certain special education and related services to students who are residents of this school district and who attend nonpublic schools, provided that you file your request for services with the Board of Education or Committee on Special Education or before the first day of June preceding the school year for which the request is made within 30 days of notice from the District that your child has been initially identified as a child with a disability or within 30 days of establishing residency.
Family Change of Address or New Contact Information
From time to time, families will move within the district. If your address changes, please contact District Registrar Melissa Haas by email at mhaas@bethlehemschools.org with the following information:
- Student name
- Old address
- New address
Please note that you will need to include proof of residency when making a request to change your address.
If you need to update other student contact information (home phone, cell phone, email) in Aspen, you should also send this updated information by email to Melissa Haas at mhaas@bethlehemschools.org