Pre-K in Las Vegas

Families in Las Vegas have three main routes to publicly funded preschool: Clark County School District (CCSD) Pre-K, Nevada Ready! State Pre-K and Head Start. They have different age cutoffs, schedules and eligibility rules, and you apply to each one separately.

CCSD Pre-K

CCSD opened Pre-K enrollment requests for the 2026–27 school year on February 12, 2026. The district says it offers more than 14,000 free Pre-K seats in over 600 early childhood programs.

Who can apply. Your child must be at least 3 years old before August 1, 2026, and not yet eligible for kindergarten. A parent or guardian must provide transportation to and from school.

Schedule. Most programs are half day. A limited number are full day.

How placement works. You fill out the 2026–2027 CCSD Pre-Kindergarten Program Interest Form, which puts your child on the interest list or waitlist. Under the district’s placement procedures:

• Children are offered a seat at their attendance-zoned school when one is available.
• If a school had more interested children than seats, it held a lottery by May 1, 2026. Children not picked are offered a seat at the closest school with an opening.
• If nothing nearby has room, your child goes on a waitlist until a seat opens.
• Placements keep happening through May 7, 2027, so it’s not too late to apply mid-year.

Questions go to CCSD’s Early Childhood Department at (702) 799-7479 or prekcasemanagement@nv.ccsd.net.

Nevada Ready! State Pre-K

Nevada Ready! State Pre-K is a state-funded, full-day program for 4-year-olds (they must turn 4 on or before August 1). Classes run both in school district classrooms and in community child care centers. To qualify, household income must be at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. Every Nevada Ready! classroom takes part in the state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System.

Families apply through the Nevada Ready! PreK application. In Clark County, the Nevada Department of Education lists these sub-grantees that run programs:

• Clark County School District: (702) 799-1846
• State Public Charter School Authority: (702) 485-2400
• United Way of Southern Nevada: (702) 489-2350
• The Boys and Girls Clubs (an alliance serving several counties, including Clark)

Head Start and Early Head Start

Head Start is a federally funded program. Through Head Start and Early Head Start, it serves children from birth to age 5. Under federal rules, children qualify if their family’s income is below the federal poverty guidelines. Children in families experiencing homelessness or receiving public assistance such as TANF or SSI also qualify, and children in foster care qualify regardless of their foster family’s income.

To find programs near you, enter your ZIP code in the federal Head Start center locator and contact the program directly about openings.

Which one fits

• Your child is 3 and you can drive them each day: CCSD Pre-K.
• Your child is 4, you need a full day, and your income is at or below 250% of the poverty level: Nevada Ready! State Pre-K, and CCSD as a backup.
• Your child is under 3, or your income is below the poverty line: Head Start or Early Head Start.

You can apply to more than one. If you also need care before or after the school day, Nevada’s child care assistance program can help pay for it, and Head Start wraparound care is exempt from the family copayment.