An application period will be designated for each grade level, each year. Applications will be placed on a numbered wait list in accordance with policies outlined. Students will be required to meet admittance standards that include academics, attendance and behavior. Kindergarten, Fourth, and Fifth grade applicants will be required to take locally developed assessments. The wait list will be carried forward to the next year in the event openings occur in subsequent years. Openings that occur during the first six weeks of school will be offered to the next student on the wait list. Due to the acceleration of the math curriculum no students will be enrolled after the first six weeks grading period. Kindergarten siblings of currently enrolled students and children of full time Morriss employees are eligible for priority placement on the wait list.
During the official application period, applications will be available by accessing the Online Application link on the Morriss Elementary web page. Applications will also be available at the TISD administrative offices at 4241 Summerhill Rd., Texarkana, Texas 75503, or by calling the student enrollment office at 903-794-3651 x 1030. Parents must keep all address and contact information up to date with our office. TISD will not be responsible for deadlines missed due to inaccurate contact information.
Currently, the wait list for Kindergarten through 3rd grade for the 2009/2010 school year far exceeds the number of expected openings. The application period for these grades opened in April 2006 and is currently closed. No additional applications are being taken at this time. Students on the wait list will be contacted as openings become available and asked to submit records for review. Acceptance notices will be sent after student application review and confirmation of available opening. Students who decline enrollment will be removed from the wait list and must reapply when the application period is reopened.
Applications for the Kindergarten class will be accepted October 1, 2009 through October 16, 2009. Students must be five years old by September 1, 2010 to be eligible for enrollment.
A lottery will be held to assign application numbers to all applications received during the official application period. Applications received after October 16, 2009 will not be considered.
*Priority placement is offered to kindergarten siblings of currently enrolled Morriss Elementary students and the children of Morriss Elementary School full time staff. Applications will be accepted from these students September 21st – September 30th. After the September 30th deadline, applications received will no longer qualify for priority placement and will be entered into the general application lottery.
Applications will be available online at www.txkisd.net/morriss/application.asp or at the TISD Administration Office. Online applications will receive an electronic acknowledgment. Applications submitted in person to the TISD Administration Office will be given an acknowledgement receipt at the time the application is submitted. (TISD will not accept responsibility for receipt of applications sent through the U.S mail or TISD school mail.) Applications must be received by the established deadline. Postmark will not be considered. Parents are encouraged to bring applications to the TISD Administration Office to avoid mailing delays and to receive an application acknowledgement receipt.
Admittance Review Process for Kindergarten Students – The first sixty-six (66) applicants will be reviewed for admittance (which includes a required to take a Kindergarten readiness assessment.) If any openings exist after this review the next student on the applicant waiting list will be tested and reviewed for admittance.
Applicants for the kindergarten class will be reviewed for admittance as follows:
Parents will be asked to submit any available preschool skills assessment or report card
Student will be required to participate in a Kindergarten Readiness Assessment to be scheduled at Morriss Elementary
Parents will be notified after the application review of the final acceptance status of their student. Parents of accepted students will be asked to complete an Entrance Agreement. All deadlines for completion of forms and assessments must be met to qualify the student for admittance. Parents must keep all address and contact information up to date with our office. TISD will not be responsible for deadlines missed due to inaccurate contact information. Students who decline enrollment offered prior to the first day of school will be removed from the wait list and must reapply the following year.
Transportation – Bus transportation is available to all TISD resident students.
Official Application Period: October 1 – 16, 2009 Notification of application number: November 9 - 13, 2009 Kindergarten Readiness Assessments: January 2010 Notification of Kindergarten Acceptance: February 19, 2010 Deadline for returning Acceptance Agreement and enrollment forms: March 12, 2010
A wait list of applicants will be maintained for openings that may develop in grades 1 – 3. New applications will be taken only if we determine openings may become available for a specific grade. Currently the wait list exceeds fifty students for grades 1 – 3. Applications are closed at this time for those grade levels.
A determination will be made in January of expected openings for the next school year for grades 1 - 3. Students at the top of the wait list will be notified of expected openings and asked to submit records for review. Acceptance notification will begin in February as openings are confirmed.
Students who do not accept enrollment offered prior to the first day of school will be removed from the wait list and must reapply when the application period is reopened.
A wait list of applicants will be maintained for openings that may develop in grades 4 and 5. New applications will also be accepted during the official application period, beginning the first week of October and closing January 31st. Students on the wait list and new applicants applying by the deadline will be required to take an entrance exam in reading, math, and science. Students will be selected for enrollment based on a scoring rubric including the following:
Performance on locally administered exam in reading, math and science
Performance on TAKS or other standardized test
Performance on report card for two prior school years
Attendance record for two prior school years
Behavior/discipline record for two prior school years
Date of application will be considered in the case of equally qualified applicants. Students will be tested during February and the selection process should be complete by March 15th for confirmed openings.
