The short version: your child must turn 5 on or before September 10 to start kindergarten in Bozeman public schools this fall, per the district’s enrollment page. You enroll through the district's PowerSchool portal with five documents, and if you're doing it right now you're in the final enrollment window, which runs through August 31. One more thing nobody tells you: kindergarten starts September 3, three days after grades 1–12 (August 31). Plan childcare accordingly.

Step 1: Check the age rule

Age 5 on or before September 10 (district enrollment page). The district’s enrollment page lists no early-entry path. If you think your child is a candidate for early entrance, ask the district directly, since practices vary. If your kid is 4 by September 10 and money is tight, look at Running Start, the district's free, income-qualified pre-K program.

Step 2: Figure out your school

Eight elementaries: Emily Dickinson, Hawthorne, Hyalite, Irving, Longfellow, Meadowlark, Morning Star, Whittier. Your address determines your school via the boundary map. Fair warning: it's a Google My Maps with several layers stacked. Uncheck the county layer or you can't read it. And note the district's caveat: boundaries don't guarantee placement; late-round enrollees can be placed where there's room.

Step 3: Gather the five documents

  1. Proof of residency (lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill)
  2. Certified birth certificate
  3. Immunization record. Montana requires DTaP, polio, MMR, and varicella (medical or religious exemptions only; there is no personal-belief exemption)
  4. IEP or 504 plan, if your child has one
  5. Custody/court documents, if applicable

Step 4: Apply in PowerSchool

Enrollment runs through the district's PowerSchool application (you'll create a Parent Portal account you'll use for the next 13 years; save the password). The district processes applications in three rounds: Round 1: January 1 – March 9 · Round 2: March 10 – May 1 · Round 3: May 2 – August 31. Earlier rounds get placement priority; Round 3 is open now if you're reading this in summer.

Step 5: Mark the real first day

Per the official 2026-27 calendar: grades 1–12 start Monday, August 31; kindergarten starts Thursday, September 3. The gap is intentional (those are kindergarten orientation and assessment days), and it’s easy to miss on the calendar.

While you're at it

  • Bus: if you live over a mile out, register through the transportation office. Allow a week's lead time.
  • Meals: apply for free/reduced lunch at MySchoolApps even if you're unsure you qualify. Applications also drive school funding.
  • After-school care: kidsLINK (Greater Gallatin United Way) runs aftercare at every BSD7 elementary; before-care exists at only four schools (Emily Dickinson, Hyalite, Meadowlark, Whittier).

I'm a Bozeman parent writing independently. Not affiliated with BSD7. Details verified against district pages linked above (July 2026); if the district changes something, tell me and I'll fix it same-day.