Changes, Application Periods and Directions
Effective July 1, 2022, the school choice policy, JFBA Choice/Open Enrollment, has changed. Please review the policy, the revised priority rankings, and the following information about recent changes, application periods for the 2023-24 school year and directions on how to apply.
The application link is under the "School Choice Applications Directions" section on this page.
Some things have changed!
- We have a new platform to submit school choice applications.
- The first-round application period has now closed.
- The second-round application period opened Feb. 1, 2023, and will close 4 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 15.
- Parent/legal guardian now has five business days to respond to a seat offer and can be notified not only by email but also by phone and/or text.
- The "five business days" does not include weekend days. Holidays during the week are considered as part of the five business days.
- Seat offers not responded to within five business days are marked as declined.
- If a seat is declined, the student is removed from the waitlist and will not be offered a seat again.
- For information about the NEW seat offer process, please refer to this document | Español seat offer process.
- If a student with a sibling is offered a seat, the sibling(s) still on the waitlist will change to be a sibling priority ranking (#2 or #6).
- The system no longer allows applications to be renewed in order to keep current waitlist placement.
School Choice Acceptance, Eligibility and Transportation
PSD’s K-12 school choice program allows families to select the school they feel best meets their child’s educational needs. Acceptance is subject to space availability and eligibility requirements. Submitting a school choice application does not guarantee enrollment at any school applied for.
- Centennial High School and Poudre Community Academy are alternative schools that use a separate application process; therefore, the school choice application process is not applicable for these schools. Contact those schools directly for more information.
- Charter Schools operate independently from PSD and have their own school choice process. Please contact the charter schools directly about school choice.
- Round-trip transportation is the responsibility of the parent/legal guardian for School Choice students. For more information: District Policy JFBA Choice/Open /Enrollment | PSD Transportation website.
Kindergarten and School Choice
Parents/legal guardians must register students entering kindergarten at their designated neighborhood school, even if an application is pending for choice/open enrollment. Please refer to District Policy JEB for age requirements for kindergarten in PSD.
- Registering at the designated neighborhood school does not impact a pending school choice application or potential seat offers from a choice school or program.
- Online registration for the 2023-24 school year has opened and is now available for parents/legal guardians to register their incoming kindergartner.
- In-person registration is also available for families at neighborhood elementary schools. Contact your student’s neighborhood school for school hours.
- Parents/legal guardians of incoming kindergartners should complete online or in-person registration, to allow schools to determine their classroom sizes, staffing needs and the number of school choice seats they can offer.
- Online registration will still be available for families throughout the rest of the year.
School Choice Application Periods for 2023-24
Please read the information below before submitting a school choice application. Each year, dates for first and second-round application periods will be posted on the PSD website.
First-Round Application Period (NOW CLOSED)
- Up to a maximum of five schools for the application year may be selected for each student and a separate application to each school must be submitted.
- First-round school choice applications are not considered on a first-come-first-serve basis; they are processed in a lottery to determine order within the application’s priority ranking.
- All first-round school choice applications are based on space availability and eligibility requirements.
The second-round application period opened Feb. 1, 2023, and will close 4 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 15.
The second-round will begin on or about two weeks after the first-round lottery occurs and closes on or around the day prior to the first day of school in August of the school year of requested enrollment and is for families who missed applying during the first-round application period. Specific second-round dates will be posted to the PSD website when determined.
- Second-round applications are based on priority ranking and the date and time of when the application was submitted. They are placed on the waitlist after any first-round applicants within the applicable priority ranking.
- If the maximum number of five schools were selected for a student in the first-round application period, parents/legal guardians can't submit additional applications for the same student during the second-round application period.
- If the maximum number of five schools were not selected for a student in the first-round application period, parents/legal guardians may submit additional applications for the same student to meet the five maximum total and those applications will be considered as second-round.
Not sure you need to apply?
Situations when applications are required and not required
When applications are not required:
- Students who wish to enroll at or return to their designated neighborhood school for the following school year do not need to submit an application. Contact the designated neighborhood school to enroll the student for the following school year.
- Students who intend to remain at their current school choice school for the following year do not need to re-apply.
When applications are required:
- A school choice application must be submitted to attend a school that is not a student’s designated neighborhood school or to attend a choice only school.
- A student who has moved out of a designated neighborhood attendance area and would like to continue at that school for the following school year, must submit a School Choice Application.
- Students changing levels (elementary to middle school or middle school to high school) and would like to attend the next level that is not their designated neighborhood school must submit a School Choice Application.
- Applications can no longer be renewed. If you are currently on a school’s waitlist and do not receive a seat offer, a new application must be submitted for the following application period.
School Choice Application Directions
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Applications Completed Online
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Because this is a new platform, you'll need to first create an account.
You must complete the application in full, which takes about 15 minutes (per application). An incomplete, partially filled-out application can't be saved.
Application Steps:
- Begin by completing the guardian demographic questionnaire to create a Family Dashboard.
- Once the Family Dashboard is created, student(s) may be added.
- If you are submitting applications for multiple students or multiple birth siblings (twins, triplets, etc.), each student will need to be added to the Family Dashboard.
- If the student is currently enrolled in a K-12 PSD school, their PSD ID# will need to be entered to proceed in the application process. If you do not know your student’s PSD ID#, contact your student’s current K-12 PSD school or visit ParentVUE.
- Please note: Currently enrolled students DOES NOT include students enrolled at PSD charter schools.
- If you have a new student to PSD, you do not need a PSD ID # to proceed in the application process.
- Students can only be attached to one parent/legal guardian account. Duplicate accounts for the same student are not allowed.
- Periodically log into your account to check your Family Dashboard for updates.
- Once students are added to the Family Dashboard, school choice applications can be submitted.
- Up to a maximum of five (5) schools for the application year for each student may be selected and a separate application to each school must be submitted.
- Schools are not ranked or placed in order of preference.
- Duplicate applications for the same student are not allowed and could result in the denial of the applications.
- The school choice application process is intended for applying for the next grade level only, it is not to be used to retain a student for the same grade level for the following school year.
- Priority ranking is determined based on information provided on the application such as:
- Employee PSD ID # and work location of any parent/legal guardian that is employed by PSD.
- Sibling name(s) and current school(s):
- The priority rankings #2 and #6 for sibling status have been revised.
- Siblings and multiple birth siblings (i.e., twins, triplets, etc.) must complete and submit a school choice application for each sibling applying for choice/open enrollment.
- Multiple birth siblings are considered together when determining availability of space and eligibility, will only be admitted together and only if space is available for all of them and each is eligible, and will be placed on the waitlist together if space is not available for all of them.
- Approval of choice/open enrollment in a particular school or program for one child in a family does not guarantee that choice/open enrollment to attend that same school or program of choice will be approved for any other children, except with respect to multiple birth siblings.
- After completing and submitting a school choice application, a confirmation email will be sent from scribonline@scribsoft.com (add this email to your list of safe senders since this is used for communication).
- The confirmation email is proof of submission.
- Once an application is submitted, parents/guardians can't review or make changes.
- You must contact the school to make changes to a submitted application.
- School selections cannot be changed once the lottery has been run.
Notifications, Transfers and Withdrawing
Notifications and Seat Offer Process
- Seat offers are made based on space availability. Seat offers continue until all seats are filled. For information about the NEW seat offer process, please refer to this document | Español seat offer process.
- Parent/legal guardian have three options to receive notifications:
- By email (scribonline@scribsoft.com)
- By phone
- By text message (if opt in)
- Parents/legal guardians should frequently check emails and log into your account to view the family dashboard for updates, particularly during the notification period.
- When a seat is offered, parents/legal guardians have five business days to either accept or reject the seat offer.
- Parents/legal guardians can respond to a seat offer online by accessing their Family Dashboard by computer or cell phone. If responding to a seat offer by cell phone, scroll to the side where the student application (s) are listed to see the "Accept" or "Reject" buttons.
- To confirm a response to a seat offer, please access your Family Dashboard.
- If a seat is rejected or automatically declined due to no response, this cannot be reversed. Students are removed from the waitlist and will not be offered a seat again.
- If a seat is currently not available, applicants will be placed on a school’s waitlist. Students remain on waitlists until a seat is offered or until the waiting list is purged, which occurs annually.
- For information about the status of a school choice application or space availability for a school, please contact that school directly.
- The "five business days" does not include weekend days. Holidays during the week are considered as part of the five business days.
- When you apply for school choice, and a seat is offered and you accept the seat, you are declining your student's seat at their PSD neighborhood school for the following school year. The neighborhood school may then offer your student's seat to a school choice applicant.
Per our district policy JFBA Choice /Open Enrollment: Students must commit and plan to remain in the school or program of choice for at least the remainder of the school year for which the student was admitted. Students who wish to return to their neighborhood school or attend a different school during the current school year may be permitted to return or enroll if space is available.
School Transfers for the Current School Year
- Once a school year begins, open enrollment (school choice) for that school year is over.
- Students must plan on remaining in a school for the remainder of the current school year upon enrollment at a choice school or program, or upon enrollment through a transfer. Students who wish to return to their neighborhood school or attend a different school during the current school year may be permitted to return or enroll if space is available.
- To request to attend another school during the current school year, a School Transfer Request form must be completed, and instructions followed for a school transfer to be considered.
- Transfers are evaluated on a case-by case basis and must be approved by the assistant superintendent of elementary schools or assistant superintendent of secondary schools.
- Refer to District Policy JFBA Choice/Open Enrollment for more information.
Withdrawing From Choice Schools
Students must remain in their school for the remainder of the current school year upon enrollment at a choice school or program, or upon enrollment through a transfer.
- Students who wish to return to their designated neighborhood school or attend a different school during the current school year must follow the School Transfer Request process and may be permitted to return or enroll if space is available.
- Students who withdraw from a choice school or program must submit a new School Choice Application for the student to be considered to return to such choice school or program for the following school year.