The Niskayuna Central School District welcomes all school-age students who reside in the district, and takes great pride in providing them with a high-quality education. To register a new student, contact District Registrar Joan Vertigan at (518) 377-4666, ext. 50714, or via e-mail at jvertigan@niskyschools.org.
While no appointment with the registrar is required, you may wish to make one. The Registrar’s Office is located in the district offices at 1239 Van Antwerp Road; please use the Dexter Street entrance to the building.
Information in this section:
- What do you need to register for school?
- Kindergarten registration
- School attendance boundaries, including Flex Zones
- Do you have a new baby or a child younger than school age?
- Are you planning to move into the district?
- Residency decisions
- Education of homeless youth
What do you need to register for school?
Families will need to provide the information listed below complete the registration process. When a family registers a child, that child will be enrolled in our schools the next day or as soon as is practical. In cases where residency may be in question, all documentation is reviewed and a residency determination is made within three days. See the next section for kindergarten registration.
Required Registration Documents
- New Student Data Sheet
- New Student Screening Checklist
- Residency Confirmation Form
- Documentation of residency (List of qualifying documents for proof of residency)
- Documentation of age (List of qualifying documents for proof of age)
- Request for Records from a Previous School
- Student Racial and Ethnic Identification
- Most recent report card (if applicable)
- Home Language Questionnaire
(Home Language Questionnaire in: Spanish Simplified Chinese Arabic Bengali Russian | Access this form in 41 languages on the New York State Department of Education website)
Medical Information
- Student’s Immunization Record (View New York State Immunization Requirements)
- Health History Form
- Physical Form (to be completed by your family physician)
- Dental Health Certificate
If you are unable to access any of the forms on this page, please contact District Registrar Joan Vertigan at jvertigan@niskyschools.org or (518) 377-4666, ext. 50714 to arrange to have an electronic or a hard copy provided to you.
Kindergarten registration
Children must be 5 years old on or before Dec. 1 of the year they enter kindergarten. A kindergarten registration period typically takes place in January and February. The district will announce those dates on this page and mail registration packets to the families of eligible students we are aware of. In order to be sure you receive this packet, please notify the Registrar’s Office about your child anytime between birth and kindergarten registration.
School Attendance Boundaries – Including Flex Zones
The district has five elementary schools and a feeder pattern for its two middle schools that is based on the elementary school of attendance. There are dedicated attendance zones for each elementary school, as well as flexible attendance zones – in which newly registering students may attend one of two or more schools in order to balance class sizes. More information about:
- School assignment of elementary students (Class Size Guidelines)
- About the Flex Zones
- Map of attendance zones
- Listing of district addresses with their school of attendance
Do you have a new baby or a child younger than school age at home? Please let us know!
Information about future students is critical for our planning. Ensuring that we are aware of your child also ensures that you will receive the kindergarten registration packet when it is time for you to register he or she as a student. If you have a child younger than school age, please contact Registrar Joan Vertigan at jvertigan@niskyschools.org or (518) 377-4666, ext. 50714.
Are you planning to move into the district?
Children attending Niskayuna schools must be residents of the school district. However, children of future residents may be enrolled providing the parents/guardians show evidence, in the form of a construction, purchase or rental agreement, that guarantees residence within three months. Please see Board of Education Policy 5152 or contact the Registrar’s Office for more information.
Residency Decisions
Prior to decisions that a child is not entitled to attend school in the district, the person in parental relation to the child will have the opportunity to submit information concerning the child’s right to attend school in the district. In cases where it is determined that a child is not entitled to attend the schools of such district due to residency, the district will provide written notice of this determination within two business days. This written notice will include the specific basis for the determination, the date when the child will no longer be able to attend school in the district, and information about appealing the decision to the New York State Education Commissioner.
Education of Homeless Youth
The Niskayuna Central School District will ensure homeless children and youths have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as provided to other children and youths, and access to services that support their success. We are committed to eliminating barriers to the identification, enrollment, attendance and success of homeless students. Board of Education policy provides for the transportation of homeless students in accordance with state and federal law, which gives homeless students the right to designate either the school district of origin or the school district of current location as the one they wish to attend. For more information about the education of homeless youth, please contact the Director of Student and Staff Support services at (518) 377-4666, ext. 50740. More information can also be found in Board of Education Policy 7131: Education of Homeless Children and Youth.