Nashville, Tennessee · Davidson County
Key Dates & Deadlines
Compare every K–12 & childcare option in Metro Nashville
As of October 5, 2026, neither Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) nor the Tennessee Department of Education has published dates for the 2027-28 school year.
Last year, the state announced the EFS dates on November 20, and MNPS posted its optional-schools calendar in January. We will add the new dates to this page as soon as they are official.
Plan on most applications opening in December and January and closing in late January or early February.
Use these to plan. The 2027-28 dates will be similar, but they will not be the same.
| What | Date last year | Source |
|---|---|---|
| EFS scholarship: renewal applications open | December 9, 2025 | TDOE ↗ |
| EFS scholarship: new applications open | January 13, 2026 | TDOE ↗ |
| MNPS optional and magnet schools: applications open | January 20, 2026 | MNPS calendar ↗ |
| MNPS kindergarten registration opens | January 26, 2026Children had to turn 5 before August 16, 2026. | MNPS ↗ |
| EFS scholarship: all applications close | February 6, 2026, 4:00 p.m. CTExtended from January 30 after a winter storm. | TDOE ↗ |
| MNPS optional and magnet schools: application deadline | February 13, 2026, 4:30 p.m.From the revised MNPS calendar. The application form said February 6. | MNPS calendar ↗ |
| MNPS optional schools: lottery results | March 2, 2026 | MNPS calendar ↗ |
| MNPS Pre-K: priority application window | March 2–31, 2026 | MNPS ↗ |
| MNPS optional schools: last day to accept a seat (K–10) | March 20, 2026 | MNPS calendar ↗ |
Each public charter network runs its own application and lottery, and dates vary by school. Many use the same MNPS SchoolMint system. Check each school's own website.
Private schools set their own admission and financial-aid deadlines, often in the winter. Check each school's admissions page.
The 2027-28 dates have not been announced yet. Last year, new EFS scholarship applications opened January 13, 2026, and MNPS optional and magnet school applications opened January 20, 2026. This page will list the new dates once MNPS and the state publish them.
For the 2026-27 school year it was February 13, 2026, at 4:30 p.m., according to the revised MNPS calendar. The 2027-28 deadline has not been announced yet.
For 2026-27, the application window closed February 6, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. CT. The state had extended it from January 30 because of a winter storm. The 2027-28 dates have not been announced yet.