School Choice FAQ

PSD's School of Choice program allows families to select the school that best meets their child's educational needs based on space availability and eligibility requirements. A School Choice application is required to attend a school that is not a student’s neighborhood school, or to attend a choice-only school. This is also required for families living outside of PSD boundaries.

Parents or guardians can apply at the following link starting on Nov. 3. Your child MUST be enrolled in their neighborhood school first to be eligible to apply for School of Choice. 

The first consideration period application window is Nov. 3 - Dec. 15. The second round consideration period begins in mid-January and continues to the start of the next school year.  

Round one is a lottery, round two is first-come-first-serve. Priority rankings are used in the lottery process. Please view Policy JFBA for more information on priority rankings.

• No, choice-only schools are PSD public schools that do not have designated neighborhood boundaries, so they require a School of Choice application to attend.
• Charter schools are authorized by the district or by the Charter Schools Institute (CSI) and largely operate independently of the district. They also manage their own application and enrollment processes.

No – parents/guardians are responsible for all transportation to and from schools that are not their child’s neighborhood school.

If an application is not accepted, parents or guardians can continue to apply for the program for future school years and can attend their neighborhood school.

• A School Choice application must be submitted for each student who wishes to attend a school that is not their designated neighborhood school. This includes siblings and multiple birth siblings (e.g., twins, triplets). 
• Students on a school's waitlist who have not yet received a seat offer must reapply for consideration for the next school year.
• Students who wish to change schools or return to their designated neighborhood school after the school year has started must follow the School Choice application process.
• If a seat offer is rejected or automatically declined due to no response, parents/legal guardians can reapply to the school.
   

Students donot need to submit a School of Choice application if:

• Returning to Neighborhood School for Next School Year: Contact the designated neighborhood school before school begins to enroll the student.
• Moved Out of Attendance Area: A student who has moved out of a designated neighborhood attendance area can remain enrolled through all grades served at that school. Parents/legal guardians will need to provide transportation.
• Staying at Current School Choice for Next School Year: Students who intend to remain at their current school choice for the next year do not need to reapply.
• Applying to Centennial High School and Poudre Community Academy: these alternative schools have separate applications – contact the school for details.
• Applying to PSD charter schools: these have separate applications – contact the school for details.

Applying to Early Childhood programs: find the Early Childhood application here.

• If your child wishes to return to their neighborhood school, you can contact that school to enroll them.
• If your child wishes to return to a PSD school that is not their neighborhood school, you will have to apply through the School of Choice process – even if they were enrolled in that school before.

• If you have a residence within PSD boundaries, you can enroll in your neighborhood school and then apply for School of Choice (if applications are open during that time) if you’d like your child to attend a school other than their neighborhood school.
• If you are moving and don't yet have a residence, you must apply through School of Choice (for a neighborhood school or choice school), or wait until you have residency to register at your neighborhood school. It’s best to wait to register until you have residency.
  • If your current residency is outside of PSD boundaries and you apply for School of Choice, you will be placed on the lowest priority ranking. See Policy JFBA for more information about priority rankings.
  • Once you establish residency within PSD boundaries, you update your application with proof of your new residency, and that will shift you to a higher-priority ranking.

PSD’s School Choice Application