Skip to main content
July 29, 2025

2025-2026 Back to School Guide

Two young children stand side by side, smiling for a photo with a 'Back to School Guide' banner overlay.

Welcome to the 2026-27 School Year!
We are so excited you are here! Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools is gearing up for yet another school year and we cannot wait to welcome our students back. As the first day of school is approaching quickly, we know that many students, parents and guardians may have questions regarding the upcoming year. We want you to know that we are listening, and are here to help. That is why we offer the KCKPS Back to School Guide. Below you will find a list of information and resources where you can explore all things back to school.

Important Dates: 

  • August 1: Wyandotte County Back to School Fair 
    • 8:00 am - 1:00 pm at Homefield KCK. (9250 State Ave. KCK, 66112). 
  • August 10-11: Family Advocacy Days
  • August 12: First Day of School 
    • Kindergarten-5th
    • 6th Grade 
    • Students new to Sumner Academy
    • 9th Grade 
  • August 13: Remaining students return 
  • August 20: First Day of Kidzone

*Preschool, please see section below.

School Supplies 

  • Great news! We are thrilled to kick off another incredible year of learning and development in Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. All Early Childhood - 12th Grade students in KCKPS will receive school supplies directly from their individual buildings for the upcoming school year.
  • These supplies will be tailored to your students' grader levels and instructional needs, ensuring they have everything they need for a successful year!
  • For more details, please reach out directly to your childs school site. We can't wait to see all of the amazing things our students will achieve this year! 

Registration
All students must register for the new school year. Students new to KCKPS will begin a new registration, while returning students will need to verify registration. Registration instructions and support is available throughout the district. 

Registration Assistance
For step-by-step instructions, or to watch a video walk through in English or Spanish, visit our Registration Assistance page.

A teacher smiles as a student presents information on a whiteboard in a classroom.

Transportation

  • How do I know if my student is eligible to ride the bus? 
    • USD 500 offers bus transportation for all eligible riders as per District Policy. Eligibility measurement is determined along public roadways.
    • Elementary Eligibility
      • District 500 distance requirement for Elementary student is 8/10 of a mile. Elementary students who do not qualify under District Policy are permitted to walk to the nearest regular bus stop as long as they are not crossing a major street to get to a bus stop.
    • Secondary Eligibility
      • District 500 distance requirement for High School / Middle School student is 1.5 mile. Students that do not qualify under District Policy are not permitted to ride the school bus, and will be considered a non-transport student.
  • When will I know my child’s bus number, route and times
    • Student transportation information will be communicated to families after August 7, 2026, via text message and/or by phone call. 
    • Please make sure your contact information is up to date in Infinite Campus to ensure your receive these notifications. 
  • For more information, visit the Transportation page. 

Nutritional Services

Preschool
To fill out an application for your child, please call: 913-627-5257 or schedule an appointment online. 
List of items needed to apply for preschool.

Important Dates: 

  • Part Day: 
    • August 11: Meet the Teacher 
    • August 12-13: Family Advocacy Days 
    • August 14: First Day of School  
  • Full Day: 
    • August 11: Meet the Teacher 
    • August 12-13: Family Advocacy Days
    • August 14: First Day of School 

If you have already completed an enrollment appointment and have not heard from the district via email, text or call, please contact the Early Childhood Education team at 913-627-5257. 

Athletics
Interested in participating in district Athletics? To learn more about: 

Visit the district's Athletics page

Technology
Technology Distribution: TIS technicians will work with building Administrators to schedule student device distribution.  

KidZone
Did you know KCKPS has a before & after school care option available?  

KidZone offers homework assistance, social development programs, STEAM and recreation activities.

In addition, KidZone offers a wide variety of enrichment activities led by USD500 staff in a safe environment.

KidZone programming for the 2026-27  school year will begin Thursday, August 20, 2026.

  • Application - applications will be available the first week of August at KidZone sites, and enrollment available through your student’s Infinite Campus profile. Once the application has been completed, your child is enrolled. There is no approval process. 
  • Locations - We have 9 sites based on your student’s home school.
  • Locations are: Banneker, Emerson, Frank Rushton, Hazel Grove, Lowell Brune, M.E. Pearson, New Chelsea, West Park and Whittier.   
  • Program Hours -  AM - 7:00 a.m. -  8:30 a.m.; PM - afterschool until 5:30 p.m. Wednesday afterschool until 5:30 p.m.
  • Pricing - Cost per student. $50 per week for both AM and PM sessions; $30 per week for AM only; $40 per week for PM only; $15 per week for Wednesdays only.
  • KidZone is not available for Preschool students.

Attend to Achieve
Attendance Matters

A promotional graphic with the text "We're BETTER When You're HERE" and a graduation icon.

Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in Kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and in life.

We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. But, we also know that when students miss too much school— regardless of the reason – it can cause them to fall behind academically.  Your child is less likely to succeed if they are chronically absent—which means missing 18 or more days over the course of an entire school year. 

Research shows:    

  • Children chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade.  
  • By 6th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk of dropping out of school.  
  • By 9th grade, good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8th-grade test scores.  

Absences can add up quickly. A child is chronically absent if he or she misses just two days every month!!

Tips to Prevent Chronic Absenteeism

  1. Ensure that your student attends school every day and arrives on time.
  2. Familiarize yourself with the Attendance Guidelines.
  3. Access Infinite Campus to keep track of your student’s attendance.
  4. Save your student’s School Schedule and the District Calendar in a spot that is easy to remember and quick to access.
  5. Support your student at home with some of these practical tips:
    • Make sure your children keep a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine.
    • Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
    • Ensure your children go to school every day unless they are truly sick.
    • Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.
    • Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your children feel anxious about going to school.
    • Develop back up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your child to school.

Checking your child's attendance
Parents/Guardians can log into Infinite Campus to view their child's attendance. For additional support please visit Infinite Campus.

What to do if my child is going to be absent? 

  • Parents must notify the student’s school within 24 hours to excuse an absence. 
  • Parents can now use Infinite Campus to log absences. Login to your my parent portal to submit an absence on your child's behalf. 
  • The Principal can request documentation in order to excuse an absence for any chronically absent student.
  • Additionally, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain make-up assignments from teachers following an excused or unexcused absence. For parents of elementary-age students, please follow up with your student’s teacher and you can begin reminding your student as well.

What is an Excused Absence? The Board of Education defines these as absences due to:

  • Illness of the student or medical appointments
  • Urgent need of the child to be at home due to illness in the immediate family
  • Death in the family
  • Absences for religious observances
  • Participation in a district-approved or school-sponsored activity or event
  • Students whose parent or person acting as a parent, is an active duty member of the armed forces and is leaving or deploying shortly for military services. (Excused at the discretion of the administration)
  • Absences approved by the principal and prearranged by 30 the parent, student, and principal
  • Absences approved by the principal and prearranged by the parent, student, and Director of Student Support Programs

Examples of an unexcused absence include but are not limited to the following:

  • Missed Bus
  • No Transportation
  • Out-of-Town
  • Vacations
  • Babysitting
  • Others not listed on the excused absence list

What is Truancy?
According to the Kansas State law, a student is considered truant when they have:

  • 3 unexcused absences in a row
  • 5 unexcused absences in a semester, or
  • 7 unexcused absences in a school year.
  • Tardies: 

7 Tardies = 1 Unexcused Absence 
Accumulated tardiness to school will result in an unexcused absence as defined by the Kansas statute (Code Section: 72-1111, et seq.) when a child is inexcusably absent from school a significant part of the school day. If a student misses two or more hours of the school day, which shall include required conferences or detention periods; this shall be considered a significant part of the day. Seven (7) unexcused first-hour tardies equal one (1) unexcused absence. For secondary, tardies accumulated throughout the day do not count towards unexcused absences but do count for your student’s chronic absenteeism rate. Check with your school’s Principal for any discrepancies.

A young student raises her hand eagerly in a brightly lit classroom.

Infinite Campus Parent Portal Login Reset
If you need support resetting your username and/or password, please contact your schools registrar and request your login information.

Transfer Permit Requests
Permit applications closed on June 30. If you applied for a transfer permit for the 2026-27 school year, you should have received notice on whether the permit was approved or not.