Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions for Registration      

1. WHEN DOES REGISTRATION BEGIN FOR THE 25/26 SCHOOL YEAR? We open registration for the new school year on March 3, 2025.
2. WHAT IS THE CUT-OFF AGE TO REGISTER A KINDERGARTENER?   A child must be five years old by September 30.
3. I KNOW I NEED TO USE FINALFORMS TO REGISTER MY CHILD, BUT HOW DO I GET TO FINALFORMS?  There are two ways to access FinalForms:  Go to www.lorainschools.org under the department tab Registration, find FinalForms, and click on it.  Follow the instructions and upload your documents. When all the forms are complete, the boxes will turn green. Go to www.lorain-oh.finalforms.com. Follow the instructions and upload your documents. When all of the forms are complete, the boxes will turn green. 
4. DO I NEED TO RE-REGISTER EVERY YEAR? No. Your child remains registered as long as he or she is registered and attends school through the end of the school year. Starting in July, you will be required to update your FinalForms each year.
5. I CHANGED MY ADDRESS. WHAT DO I DO? Bring your proof of residence (from the approved District list) with your ID to the Registration office or upload it to your child’s FinalForms. 
6. MY CHILD WAS IN PRESCHOOL LAST YEAR. DO I NEED TO RE-REGISTER FOR KINDERGARTEN? No, you should have received notification from your child’s preschool teacher at the end of the school year indicating that your child had been promoted to kindergarten and what building they were assigned to according to the address currently on file or by placement by the Special Education Department or English Language Learning Services.
7. WHAT ARE THE REGISTRATION’S OFFICE HOURS?  Unless otherwise noted, our office is open Monday through Friday, from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM.  We will have an adjusted schedule during the summer. Walk-in hours are from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Thursday. Appointments are available from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday through Thursday
8. ARE THERE LATER TIMES FOR REGISTRATION FOR PEOPLE WHO WORK? Later times can be accommodated on an individual basis. If you register over the phone, you may qualify for full registration without coming in.
9.  I CHANGED MY PHONE NUMBER. WHO DO I CONTACT TO GET IT CHANGED? Go to your FinalForms account and update the phone number in all of your children’s FinalForms contact information pages. 
10. MY CHILD(REN) WAS OPEN ENROLLED LAST YEAR, AND I WANT THEM TO REMAIN IN LORAIN CITY SCHOOLS. WHAT DO I DO?  You should have received a re-application letter in the mail to be returned to Angie Reynolds. Re-application letters are mailed over the summer. If you have not received the letter, it is possible that you may have moved. In that case, we will require a new proof of residence from you. If you have not moved and have not received the letter, you can visit the Registration Department and request assistance from a registrar to complete a new application.
11. I DON’T HAVE THE SHOT RECORDS FOR MY STUDENT. WHAT DO I DO? If your child is enrolled in preschool or kindergarten, it is mandatory to provide their shot records. Please contact their doctor and obtain a copy of the records. If your child has attended a school in another district from grades 1-12, we will request the records from their previous school. Additionally, if your child is coming from outside the country, including Puerto Rico, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Honduras, etc., we require the records regardless of the grade level.
12. CAN’T GET MY DOCUMENTS TO UPLOAD. WHAT DO I DO? Please see the link to a short video that provides easy-to-follow instructions. Alternatively, you can bring your documents to a scheduled appointment or walk-in hours with our helpful registrars. 
13. MY STUDENTS HAVE BEEN ATTENDING LORAIN CITY SCHOOLS FOR YEARS. DO I NEED TO CREATE A NEW FINAL FORMS ACCOUNT EACH YEAR? No. You will need to log in to your FinalForms account after July 1, 2025, and update the information of each child. Once you have done that, please re-sign each form and click submit. The status of the forms should be Green when finished, or Yellow if your student is in Middle School or High School and will need to sign as well. Your students will sign the forms once the school starts and they are provided with technology.
14. I WITHDREW MY STUDENT FROM LORAIN CITY SCHOOLS AND WOULD LIKE TO RE-ENROLL. You will need to contact one of the Registrars via email at finalforms@lorainschools.org to return your student(s) to an applicant status. Once the status is changed, please sign back into your FinalForms account, review all information, make any necessary corrections, and sign the bottom of each page. Once all forms are completed and your documents are uploaded, you can do 1 of 2 things:
    1. When all forms are complete and uploaded documents have been reviewed, await a call from the registrar to review your answers with you and finalize your child’s registration.
    2. Walk in to the registration office with all of our documents, and wait for the next available Registrar.
15. MY CHILD HAS AN IEP, BUT I WANT TO ENROLL. Welcome to Lorain City Schools! To complete your registration, please follow these steps: 
    1. Fill out the Final Forms as instructed.
    2. Once all the forms are green and your documents have been uploaded, you have two options:

       1. Wait for a registrar to call you.

       2. Wait in the walk-in line for the next available registrar.

    3. A registrar will complete the registration process and forward all documentation to the Special Education Department.

    4. The Special Education Department will review the IEP/ETR and decide on placement based on your child's needs. They will call you once a placement has been made.