Contact Us

Intradistrict / School Choice

INTRADISTRICT/SCHOOL CHOICE GUIDELINES:

The Irvine Unified School Intradistrict/School Choice process provides the opportunity for parents/legal guardians to request a school other than their assigned school.  The condition which restricts this policy is space availability. 

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). 

Click here for School of Choice Timeline for middle school and high school.


The Intradistrict/School Choice lottery window will open on January 2, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. and will close on January 27, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.  Requests received during the lottery window dates will receive consideration regardless of date received within the window.

Elementary requests (K-6) submitted through the Parent Portal will not be processed. For information on how to submit an elementary school choice request for 2023-24, please see the 'Elementary Grades' tab below.

 

*Note: Jeffrey Trail Middle School is only open to requests for siblings of concurrently enrolled Jeffrey Trail Middle School students for the 2023-24 school year.  Jeffrey Trail Middle School is closed to general Intradistrict/School Choice requests and any requests made for Jeffrey Trail Middle School without a concurrently enrolled sibling will not be processed.

 

*Note: Sierra Vista Middle School is only open to requests for siblings of concurrently enrolled Sierra Vista Middle School students for the 2023-24 school year.  Sierra Vista Middle School is closed to general Intradistrict/School Choice requests and any requests made for Sierra Vista Middle School without a concurrently enrolled sibling will not be processed.

*Note: Portola High School is only open to requests for siblings of concurrently enrolled Portola High School students for the 2023-24 school year.  Portola High School is closed to general Intradistrict/School Choice requests and any requests made for Portola High School without a concurrently enrolled sibling will not be considered.

*Note: If you would like to request San Joaquin Middle School or San Joaquin High School (IVA) for the 2023/2024 school year, please submit this request through the school choice process.  This process is to request FULL time enrollment at IVA.

FOR CURRENTLY ENROLLED IUSD STUDENTS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL & HIGH SCHOOL ONLY, YOU MAY SUBMIT A LOTTERY THROUGH YOUR PARENT PORTAL BY FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW.  ** Please contact the requested elementary school directly for students in elementary grades regarding school choice.  ** Requests submitted through the Parent Portal for elementary school grades will not be processed.  Click on the Elementary Grades tab below for further instructions.

  • Click on the banner titled: The 2023-24 Intradistrict/School Choice lottery window is open
  • Under the Student Info tab, click on School of Choice Requests
  • Review the Parent Acknowledgement and Instructions
  • Click on Create New School Choice Request
  • Complete the request and SAVE

You may log into your Parent Portal account to view the status of your request.  Due to the high volume of requests received, we are unable to provide status updates regarding a request.

FOR STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN A PRIVATE/NON-IUSD SCHOOL WHO RESIDE WITHIN THE ATTENDANCE BOUNDARY AREA OF IUSD AND WISH TO SUBMIT AN INTRADISTRICT/SCHOOL CHOICE LOTTERY REQUEST TO A SCHOOL OTHER THAN THE ASSIGNED RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL, PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A REQUEST. ** If you are a current IUSD student, submitting a request via this link will not be processed.

 

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Transferring your child to a different school other than their assigned school may result in your child not matriculating with his/her peers.
  • Parent/Legal Guardian must provide transportation to the requested school. 
  • Due to the high volume of requests, we are unable to provide status updates regarding your request.
  • Middle school students who live in the Columbus Grove area that are assigned to Lakeside MS and would like to exercise choice to have their child attend Venado, should use the Intradistrict/School choice process to submit a request.
     

(Incoming K-6th Grades)

Process for Elementary School Choice - Incoming Grades K-6

*Note: Elementary school choice requests are submitted directly to their school and the link is posted on the school's website.  To assure that the approval is random and unbiased, the approval process is implemented as follows:

  • The school choice window begins the first day school resumes after winter break and ends the last Friday in February.
  • Parents/Legal Guardian complete an online School Choice Form and submit it on the website of the desired school site.  
  • Based on request forms submitted by the deadline, a lottery is held and waiting lists (by grade level and site) are established.
  • Requests received after the deadline are added to the end of the established waiting list.
  • Periodically, schools are closed to School Choice due to high enrollment.
  • Parent/Legal Guardian must provide transportation to the requested school.

(Grades 7-12)

Process for Secondary School Choice - Incoming Grades 7-12

To assure that the approval is random and unbiased, the approval process is implemented as follows:

  • Transition to middle school or high school is based on the assigned school attendance area, not on previous school enrollment.
  • Parents/legal guardians wishing to pursue Intradistrict/School Choice must make a request during the School Choice window.
  • Opportunities for transfer may be granted in the following manner:
    • One-to-one exchange
    • Space availability
  • Based on request forms submitted by the deadline, a random and non-biased lottery is held and waiting lists (by grade level and site) are established.  The lottery process does not account for extenuating circumstances or specific reason for the request and it is not based on a first come first served basis.
  • Requests received after the lottery deadline will be added to the end of the established waiting list.
  • Periodically, schools are closed to School Choice due to high enrollment.
  • You may not receive a response in time for cheerleading try-outs, sports try-outs, music try-outs, early course selections, or any other programs/activities.
  • Parent/Legal Guardian must provide transportation to requested school.
  • Parent/Legal Guardian may only request one school other than the school to which student is assigned.
  • Due to the high volume of requests received, we are unable to provide status updates regarding a request.

Click here for School of Choice Timeline for middle school and high school.

Enrollment and Return Guidelines:

If a student is enrolled in a school outside their assigned attendance area and continued enrollment is desired, an Intradistrict/School Choice Form does not need to be completed.  Once enrolled in a school outside their assigned attendance area, students and their siblings receive priority at that school for continued enrollment over all other Intradistrict/School Choice applicants.  If, for any reason, the school is unable to permit continued enrollment, the principal will notify the student’s parents/legal guardians.

Students who elect to begin a given academic year at a school other than his/her assigned school may not be able to transfer back to their assigned school for the balance of the same academic year due to restricted space availability. Transfers within the school year may disrupt student academic goals and progress.  Students who still elect to return to their assigned attendance area school, may do so during the school year; however:

  1. Elementary and Middle school students may only transfer at the beginning of a trimester.
  2. High school students may only transfer at the beginning of a semester.
  3. Year-Round students may not transfer to a traditional school.

 

Sibling Rule
In cases where not all siblings or students assigned to a school can be accommodated, students shall be accepted for enrollment as space becomes available, in the following order:

  1. Students residing in an assigned school attendance area who would have an older sibling concurrently enrolled at the school.
  2. Students who reside in an assigned school attendance area regardless of a sibling.
  3. Students who do not reside in the assigned school attendance area, but would have a sibling enrolled concurrently.
  4. Students on a school’s waiting list who reside outside the assigned school’s attendance area.

    All policies and attendance areas are subject to change by the Board of Education of the Irvine Unified School District.