I am not sure where he gets the idea that the teacher won't like him.   I would start by convincing him that you think he is special and his teacher will think so as well.  He may just be nervous for some reason especially if he picks up on your nervousness.  Let him know that he will have fun in preK and that he will get to meet and play with little boys and girls just like him.  I think your son is similar to my son and there is no way I would expect him to just adapt from the rules at home to the tightly structured environment in kindergarten, even if he starts school later because of where his birthday falls.  I think my son will mature by then but  being in preK will give him the chance to interact with children and learn to play by the rules.  He already understands the things they do in his lessons, he should be in the class above his, but the education part is not why we decided to put John in preK..  We wanted John to develop social skills we couldn't give him at home.  He wasn't eligible for preK at the public schools, so he is in a state approved private one.  It was/is well worth the investment.  Within the first week of being there John's behavior changed for the better and he started coming out of his shell and following directions. Hubby and I still don't think he s ready for kindergarten,  but he can't start in August anyway so he will stay in PreK.

My mom's a preschool administrator and she'll be the first to tell you that you can't force a child into something he's not ready for. My suggestion would be to set up a meeting with a teacher or PreK administrator ahead of the screening, and they can give you a better idea of how they think he would fare in the educational environment. Of course you know him best as he is at home, but they'll be able to give you a better picture of his strengths and weaknesses as they relate to the classroom, and to his ability to learn without fear.

If you're unable to set up this meeting (because, after all, life isn't perfect) I would vote go ahead with the process. If you let him back down from a fear like this now, it's likely to get worse. If he is accepted into a program, do everything in your power to work with an administrator to choose his teacher wisely. Some students are simply better suited to certain teachers, and if he's able to find a teacher who can alleviate his fears, you should be able to turn his attitude toward school around.

It sounds like you are either going to deal with this in PreK or encounter the same problem in Kindergarten.  I say get him over the fear now.  Let the teacher know ahead of time his anxieties and maybe you could do a meet and greet ahead of time so he feels comfortable with the teacher.  He's eventually going to go to school and from the sounds of it, i don't think this anxiety will diminish in a year so you'll be dealing with it at some point.  Might as well address it now because it might be worse in a year!  Good luck!

Often times kids who are difficult at home are amazing at school. My sister was loud, talkative and wouldn't sit still, but when she got to school, she was a whole different person.

I would definitely try it. I'm not sure I would let him think that he has any say in the matter, it's kind of setting you up for a struggle. Chances are, once he realizes the teacher likes him just fine, he'll really enjoy being there and learn a lot. 

Thank you so much everyone for your input. With your help, I have the courage to go ahead with the screening and depending on the evaluation I will decide whether or not to place him in PreK. I'm not going to stress and get nervous about it and support him through the process and see how it turns out. I've come to accept that nothing is perfect ;)

There should be a mass screening about 3-4 weeks before school starts, and they usually try to schedule a home visit a week before.  He might change his mind after interacting with all the other kids at the screening, or finding that his potential teachers are really interesting.