Schools

North Haven’s Green Acres pre-K earns national accreditation, and the kindergarten age rule is changing

North Haven’s pre-K program at Green Acres Elementary earned NAEYC accreditation with perfect classroom-visit scores. Separately, starting in 2027-28, children must turn 5 by Sept. 1 to start kindergarten, and waivers are ending.

Hero image for North Haven's Green Acres pre-K earns national accreditation, and the kindergarten age rule is changing. Photo courtesy of North Haven Public Schools.

North Haven’s public pre-K program has earned national accreditation, and it did it with a perfect score on classroom visits.

The pre-K program at Green Acres Elementary School received accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), according to the superintendent’s September 2026 Quarterly newsletter. The program scored 100% on its classroom observations.

The district also says it was the first to pass NAEYC’s revised portfolio requirements on its first submission.

What NAEYC accreditation means

NAEYC is one of the nation’s leading early-childhood education organizations, and its accreditation is one of the best-known quality marks for preschool programs. Programs go through a self-study, build a detailed portfolio, and are observed in the classroom by assessors. Standards cover curriculum, teaching, family relationships, health and safety, staffing and leadership.

For North Haven parents, it’s an outside, independent check that the district’s youngest students are in a strong program.

Young students in a North Haven Public Schools classroom

Kindergarten age rule changes in 2027-28

The same newsletter flags a change families of preschoolers should plan for now.

Starting with the 2027-28 school year, children must turn 5 by Sept. 1 to enroll in kindergarten. And the district says kindergarten waivers, which let some younger children start early, will end.

The change lines up with Connecticut’s move to a Sept. 1 kindergarten cutoff, replacing the old Jan. 1 cutoff that let children with fall birthdays start at age 4.

Here’s what it means in practice:

  • A child who turns 5 on or before Sept. 1, 2027, can start kindergarten in fall 2027.
  • A child who turns 5 after Sept. 1, 2027, will wait until fall 2028.
  • Families who had been counting on a waiver for a fall birthday should plan for an extra year of pre-K or child care.

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Questions

Families with questions about kindergarten eligibility or pre-K can call the North Haven Public Schools central office at (203) 239-2581. The district offices are at 5 Linsley St.

The full Superintendent’s Quarterly is posted on the district website, northhavenschools.org.

Key Facts

  • What: Green Acres pre-K earns NAEYC accreditation (100% on classroom visits)
  • Where: Green Acres Elementary School, North Haven
  • Kindergarten change: Starting 2027-28, children must turn 5 by Sept. 1; kindergarten waivers end
  • Questions: North Haven Public Schools, 5 Linsley St., (203) 239-2581
  • Source: Superintendent’s Quarterly, September 2026
  • Link: northhavenschools.org

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Photos courtesy of North Haven Public Schools