Tuition Free Prekindergarten

Tuition Free Prekindergarten (also called as Voluntary PreK or VPK)

Birch Grove School for the Arts:

• Apply: Oct. 15-Dec. 17, 2025 {Lottery 1: January 14}
• Apply:  Jan. 21-March 11 {Lottery 2: Mar 25:}
• Apply online at www.nws.k12.mn.us. Contact Northwest Suburban Integration School District at 763-450-1303 with questions.
• Prekindergartners with older siblings currently attending Birch Grove School for the Arts must complete a magnet school application; prekindergartners are not automatically enrolled based on an older sibling’s enrollment.

All other Tuition Free Prekindergarten schools (non-magnet): 

• Apply: Nov. 15- Jan. 15 {Lottery 1: Jan. 20:};

• Submit your child’s application by January 15, 2026 to have the best chance of acceptance into the Free Prekindergarten program.

• Applications received after January 15, 2026, will be processed in the order they arrive to the Enrollment Center.

• Students who live within the attendance area of the school offering the Tuition Free Prekindergarten program have the highest priority for enrollment.

January 15, 2026 is the priority application window for the school locations of:

• Edinbrook Elementary School
• Fair Oaks Elementary School
• Garden City Elementary School
• Palmer Lake Elementary School
• Park Brook Elementary School
• Zanewood Community: A STEAM School

Applications are considered on a space-available basis for students who meet one of the qualifications to attend and:

• Live in the attendance areas of other schools in the district offering Tuition Free Prekindergarten.
• May not reside inside a school's attendance area.
• Live outside school district boundaries.

Ongoing enrollment through the start of school in fall 2026.
Application questions can be directed to the Enrollment Center staff at (763) 585-7350.

School year 2026-27 applications: 

Birch Grove School for the Arts (magnet school): Apply online at www.nws.k12.mn.us. Contact Northwest Suburban Integration School District at 763-450-1303 with questions.

For non-magnet schoools, complete the application and return it to Osseo Area Schools' Enrollment Center. Application questions? Call the Enrollment Center at 763-585-7350. 

2026-27 tuition free prekindergarten application (english) fillable pdf

School year 2025-26 applications: 

2025-26 Free Half Day (Mon.-Fri.) prekindergarten attendance area school application

2025-26 free Half Day, (MOn.-Fri.) prekindergarten open enrollment school choice application

2025-26 Free half day, (MON.-FRI.) prekindergarten Birch grove school for the arts NWSISD magnet lottery application

2025-26 Free half day, (MON.-FRI.) prekindergarten birch grove nwsisd magNet school infomation 

Parents/guardians will receive an email with their child's class placement after the lottery. Applications remain open after the lottery until all spots are filled. 

Tuition Free Prekindergarten, also called Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) in Minnesota is for children who turn 4 on or before Sept. 1, 2026, are not eligible for kindergarten and meet qualifications to attend.

Program highlights

• Choice of morning or afternoon class that meets every school day from September 2026 to June 2027.
• Play-based learning experiences with staff who help students grow socially, emotionally and academically.
• Students build skills and get ready for kindergarten.
• Free transportation for eligible students.

This program is made possible by special funding from the state, which recognizes the established link between early learning opportunities and student achievement.

To qualify for Tuition-Free Prekindergarten, families must meet one of the following qualifications by State of Minnesota guidance. 

• Qualifies for free or reduced-priced meals/ educational benefits
• Qualifies for state general financial eligibility requirements.
• Is an English Language Learner
• Is an American Indian
• Has experienced homelessness in the last 24 months
• Is identified through health and development screening with a potential risk factor that may influence learning
• Is in foster care, kinship care or is in need of child protection services
• Has a parent who is a migrant or seasonal agriculture laborer
• Has a parent who is incarcerated
• Is defined as eligible by the school district. Osseo Area Schools defines this as student who lives in the attendance areas of schools currently zoned for Tuition-Free Prekindergarten.

Magnet school

Birch Grove School for the Arts 
4690 Brookdale Drive, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443

Non- magnet schools

Edinbrook Elementary School
8925 Zane Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443

Elm Creek Elementary School
9830 Revere Lane N, Maple Grove, MN 55369

Fair Oaks Elementary School
5600 65th Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55429

Garden City Elementary School
3501 65th Ave N, Brooklyn Center, MN 55429

Oak View Elementary School
6710 East Fish Lake Road, Maple Grove, MN 55369

Palmer Lake Elementary School
7300 West Palmer Lake Dr., Brooklyn Park, MN 55429

Park Brook Elementary School
7400 Hampshire Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

Zanewood Community: A STEAM School
7000 Zane Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55429