Families can enroll their students in kindergarten through grade 12 for the upcoming school year at an MPS Enrollment Day event on August 20 at Wick Playfield. MPS data shows that registrations for the next school year have increased significantly compared with last year.

The August 20 enrollment event will include fun activities such as access to Wick's splash pad, basketball courts and playground equipment, plus games organized by Milwaukee Recreation. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Wick, 4929 W. Vliet St. In case of rain, enrollment will take place next door, inside MPS Central Services at 5225 W. Vliet St.

Enrollment for 2026-27 opened last school year; this event will allow families who have recently moved to Milwaukee or have yet to register their children for school to get a school placement before the start of the school year on Tuesday, September 1. 

Nearly 2,000 families completed a K3, K4 or K5 application during the February-March kindergarten enrollment period, up about 22% from the same period last year. And more than 3,500 families finished a 9th-grade application in the October-November high school enrollment period, up about 15% over the previous year. 

“Families are showing us that they see MPS as a place where their children can learn, grow, and thrive,” said Superintendent Brenda Cassellius, EdD. “As we prepare to welcome students to a new school year, we want to make the enrollment process easy and welcoming for every family. I’m especially excited by this Enrollment Day event because it will allow our families to get the information they need, meet our incredible team, and have a little summer fun together.”

The regular kindergarten and high school enrollment periods during the school year are families’ first opportunities to apply; it is the period when the district is most able to accommodate families' first choice, including preference to attend a neighborhood school, a school with siblings, or popular specialty schools.

Families can still enroll for seats in kindergarten, high school, or any grade in between at schools with available space. If families are unable to attend Enrollment Day on August 20, the district recommends they visit Central Services in person to enroll by September 1, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Enrollment will take place in the Donald J. O’Connell Memorial Auditorium most weekdays through Friday, September 11, or in Student Services, in Room 133. Families also can enroll online, at mpsmke.com/enroll.

Across the district, MPS has been implementing its new literacy plan and standard of care to effectively manage and reduce class sizes, along with the latest curriculum and tools and techniques for teachers.