Note:

1. Prior to applying for Open Enrollment, you must register at your school of residence.
2. Please visit the Registration page for more information about the registration process.

The Santa Clara Unified Board of Trustees has established a policy of limited Open Enrollment. Although some of our schools are already at capacity, this policy allows parents who reside within the boundaries of the district to request enrollment of their children at "any District school which may have space available for additional students."

Admittance to the school of your choice under the Open Enrollment process is done by an annual random lottery system. If you applied last year and were not admitted, you will need to reapply again this year if you want to be considered for your school of choice.

Open Enrollment for grades Kindergarten - 12 will occur between January 9, 2014 and February 6, 2014. Please note: Kindergarten registration for all schools throughout the District also begins on January 9, 2014. For parents with a student already attending a SCUSD school or a student who will be entering Santa Clara Unified for the 2014-2015 school year desiring to attend a school within the district, other than your home school, January 9, 2014 – February 6, 2014 is the time to enter your request of Open Enrollment.

Although the date of your application does not affect your chances in the lottery, we encourage you, however, to begin the application process before it is coming to an end as you may have questions or need assistance and the program will close down at 4:30 p.m. on February 6, 2014. Only one application per student will be accepted.

Washington Open & Millikin Basics +

Parents wishing to enroll their child at Washington Open or Millikin Basics + for the 2014-2015 school year are encouraged to attend parent information nights, visit the schools and observe classrooms. Each of these schools has a very different education philosophy. Due to the large number of first choice applications for these schools, Washington Open and Millikin Basics + cannot be listed as second choices at any grade level.

Peterson +

Peterson Middle School has a 6th grade program, Peterson +, that serves as a one year transition from a Basics approach to the eventual heterogeneous format found in Santa Clara Unified’s other middle and high schools. For the 2014-2015 school year, 140 students will be assigned to the four Peterson + classes through a fair and random lottery process. Equal opportunity for enrollment will be provided to students residing outside the Peterson attendance areas (through the Open Enrollment Application) as well as to students residing within Peterson’s attendance area (through the completion of an application at Peterson Middle School while registering for 6th grade during the Open Enrollment window). Parents of students residing within the Peterson attendance area must bring proof of residency at the time they come to Peterson to apply for Peterson +. Students applying through the Open Enrollment process as well as Peterson attendance area students applying through the registration process at Peterson Middle School must apply between January 9, 2014 – February 6, 2014.

A  parent meeting will be held in the Spring at Peterson Middle School. Parents of students who have been accepted to the Peterson + program are strongly encouraged to attend. Click the "Parent Meetings and Tours" link found at the bottom of this page.

Spanish Bilingual Program

Parents interested in having their student participate in this program should apply through Open Enrollment. For further information, call (408) 423-2117.

Both Scott Lane and George Mayne Elementary schools offer a Spanish Bilingual Program that focuses on helping children develop their English language skills while providing instruction in their home language. Students must be Spanish speakers to enroll.

Priorities Clarified

First priority in the lottery is given to siblings** of students who are enrolled at the school at the time of the Open Enrollment. Second and third priorities are given to children of employees who work at the school and the children of other employees respectively.

At the secondary level, fourth priority is given to siblings of graduates of the school, as long as the family continues to live within the SCUSD boundaries.

Note: Twins applying to the same school must be entered separately and will each receive a lottery number. When applying, also check the "Twins" box and enter the Permanent Student Number of the sibling twin.

Permanent Student Number Required

Please note you must go through your school of residence to obtain an assigned Permanent Student number before initiating the on-line process. This is accomplished by going to your school of residence and registering your student. In order to register you must bring the following:

1. Proof of Residency *(see below)
2. Immunization Records
3. Birth Certificate, Hospital Certificate, Baptism Certificate, or Passport. Originals Only.

Obtaining a Permanent Student number may take up to two business days. The final day to obtain a Permanent Student number is February 4, 2014. Parents of students presently attending school in Santa Clara Unified will need to obtain their child's Permanent Student number from the school their child is presently attending.

Families with children previously placed at their school of choice through Open Enrollment need only reapply if the child will be changing schools (moving from elementary to middle school or middle school to high school), requesting a different school of choice, or enrolling an additional child (sibling).

Students Attending School on an Intradistrict Transfer During the 2013-2014 School Year

Students attending a school, other than their school of residence, on an Intradistrict Transfer must apply for the opportunity to continue at that school for the 2014-2015 school year through the Open Enrollment process. Only students accepted to a school through the Open Enrollment process are guaranteed placement for the following year. Parents therefore must apply through Open Enrollment if they wish their student to remain at the school of choice. Once a student is accepted through Open Enrollment; the choice school becomes the student’s permanent placement through the grade span served at that school. 

Kindergarten Registration for 2014-2015 School Year

Kindergarten Registration for the coming school year will begin January 9, 2014 at elementary schools throughout the District. Parents will register their kindergarten student at their school of residence (neighborhood school). Parents may go to the District website homepage to view the street directory to confirm their student’s school of residence, based on their residence address. 

As the potential for new kindergarten enrollments in some of the District’s elementary schools may exceed the school’s capacity, parents are encouraged to register their incoming kindergarten student as early as possible, as students are placed based on their registration date.

Questions regarding Kindergarten enrollment may be directed to your school of residence at the time of registration.

Parents wishing their child to attend their school of residence do not need to apply for the Open Enrollment lottery but must bring the following in order to register:

1. Proof of Residency*(see below)
2. Immunization Records (as current, as is age appropriate)
3. Birth Certificate, Hospital Certificate, Baptism Certificate, or Passport. Originals Only.

Transitional Kindergarten enrollment for the 2014-2015 school year will also begin on January 9, 2014. Parents of students who turn 5 years old between September 2 and December 2, 2014, may choose to register for TK. Currently, our TK students attend school daily on a modified schedule at one of four District locations. Registration in the TK program is optional. Open Enrollment does not apply to Transitional Kindergarten students as the SCUSD Open Enrollment policy applies to K-12 students only.

For Your Reference for the 2014-2015 School Year:

Parents of Current Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Students

It will soon be time for kindergarten registration for the 2014-2015 school year. Kindergarten enrollment begins in January. We hope you and your child have found this transitional experience in school to be a positive one. Your child has been given the opportunity to learn important social, emotional and academic skills in a hands-on way this year and he or she is now ready to enroll in our regular kindergarten program.

Parents of current TK students must re-register your child at your home school for kindergarten enrollment. Your current enrollment in our TK program does not provide you with priority registration. Please do not miss the opportunity to enroll your child in kindergarten which begins on January 9, 2014. Remember, all completed kindergarten registration packets are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

In preparation for enrolling your child, please participate in the parent tours provided by your home school and become familiar with the dates and times that your home school office will be open for kindergarten enrollment.

Apply Online

Parents are encouraged to complete the Open Enrollment application, for any grade, online by clicking the "Open Enroll Now" link below beginning January 9, 2014 at 9 a.m. and concluding February 6, 2014 at 4:30 p.m. You may access the website from anywhere—home, the public library, etc.

Parents requiring assistance in the application process can receive such assistance at your school of residence or from the District Office Receptionist. A computer is available for public use in our District Office lobby for applying online. Hard copy applications are also available at your school of residence.

Please Note: When applying for Open Enrollment and reporting "sibling status" (i.e. a sibling is already enrolled at the school of choice; or in the case of high school, is or was enrolled at the school of choice) please be advised that the connecting link in the database to establish sibling status is the "primary phone number"**. It is therefore imperative that parents verify the phone number provided to the school for the currently enrolled sibling, inform the school of any change to this phone number, and use the same phone number when applying for 2014-2015 Open Enrollment.

Also, please verify your residency in Santa Clara Unified School District as well as your school of residence by checking the Street Directory link below.

** If you are unsure of the phone number you have listed as your "primary phone number," please contact the school office where the sibling is currently attending. 

IMPORTANT: Lastly, be sure to print out your final application as verification for your records