Enrollment Process Simplification

The SFUSD Enrollment Process is Becoming Simpler for Families! Link to this section

The Enrollment Center is excited to announce some changes to next year’s Enrollment Cycle (starting in October 2024, for students enrolling in the 2025-26 school year), aimed at making the process simpler, more transparent and more equitable. There are two key changes: 

  • Applicants only need to apply ONCE, by January 31, 2025, listing their preferred schools in order. (We used to have a series of applications and deadlines called "Rounds," which we will not have anymore.) Assignments will be announced in March 2025, and applicants who did not receive their top choice school will be automatically placed onto the waitlists for their top-choice schools, up to 5 schools, without having to re-apply. 
  • Applicants will be able to wait on several schools’ waitlists (rather than having to pick just one waitlist choice like they did in the past).

Late applicants who do not apply by January 31 will be allowed to join the end of waitlists. We will collect those applications starting February 1. While late applicants are behind on-time applicants on Wait Lists, they will be placed into a school with open space starting in April 2025.

Why are we making these changes? Link to this section

Under the previous assignment process in use until 24-25, families who were not satisfied with their Main Round assignment in March needed to apply again, for Round 2, and then again for the Wait Pool if they were still seeking a placement that they preferred. We heard from families that this process was too complicated, specifically regarding:

  • PredictabilityThe approximately 40% of families who did not get their most preferred school in the Main Round often waitied until August - even after school started - to learn about their final assignment.
  • Equity. Participation in the enrollment process beyond the Main Round was much lower among focal families, particularly African American and Latinx families. In focus groups, families share that the multiple deadlines were confusing.
  • Re-work. We ask families to re-submit their same choices several times - doing the same work over.

The enrollment process change described above will positively impact everyone who applies by the deadline, by giving them faster resolution, a more predictable process, and better assignment outcomes. 

  • Faster resolution for families: In this new process, hundreds of families will start receiving waitlist offers in early April. More families will receive offers as soon as spaces are available, rather than waiting months for subsequent application deadlines.
  • Improved predictability: Families will automatically be on waiting lists for their top-choice schools, and they will know their place in line. This creates a clear and automated path for families to get into their desired schools, instead of the uncertainty associated with assignment "rounds."  
  • More preferred assignments for on-time applicants: All applicants will be on a path to getting into their top-choice schools, without having to re-apply or compete with late applicants for seats that open up

The new process will also make the enrollment process more equitable in key ways:

  • All families — including focal families — stay eligible to receive their top-choice schools. Of the 1,750 Latinx, African American, Native American and Pacific Islander students who applied on time and were not assigned to their top-choice school last year, only 400 of them re-applied to secure their more-preferred SFUSD school through a second application round. 
  • It would create more opportunities for students with IEPs to get their final school assignments in time to have essential transition meetingsbecause a faster resolution process will give more families their final assignments before summer, allowing more time to coordinate special education services. 

Frequently Asked Questions
Link to this section

This FAQ provides answers to key questions about the new enrollment process aimed at simplifying, increasing transparency, and enhancing the equity of SFUSD enrollment.

What is the change to the Enrollment Process for the 2025-26 School Year?

  • SFUSD is moving to one application deadline, followed by running waitlists. The process will be ongoing rather than staged into "rounds."
  • Applicants only need to apply once, by January 31, 2025. Once assignments for on-time applicants are announced in March 2025, applicants who did not receive their top choice school will get automatically placed onto waitlists for their top choice schools, up to 5 schools, without having to re-apply. 
  • Late applicants, who missed the deadline, can submit waitlist applications to join the same process. While they are waiting, they will be assigned to a school that has space and will learn about that assignment in April.
  • Rolling waitlist notifications will begin in April, so that applicants can enroll as soon as seats become available.

How will this change increase the transparency of the enrollment process?

When families are added to a school’s waitlist, they will be able to know their waitlist position number, beginning in March when assignment letters are sent. As students are enrolled off the waitlist on a rolling basis between April and August, they will be able to see their waitlist number gradually decreasing as they get closer to the top of the waitlist.

How will the order of the waitlist for each school be determined?

For all those who applied by January 31, the waitlist order will be determined based on lottery results from the Main Round, including tiebreakers and random numbers. After the waitlist order is determined, new tiebreaker information (for example, if a family were to move into a neighborhood that receives preference for a given school) will not change waitlist standing with one exception: siblings. If one sibling is admitted to a school, that will change the other sibling’s waitlist spot. 

Families who join the waitlist after the Main Round application deadline will be added to the bottom of the waitlist for their choices, after all on-time applicants.

If I like my Main Round assignment, do I have to stay on the waitlist for my other choices?

Families can cancel their waitlist choices at any time, in ParentVUE or by emailing or calling the Enrollment Center.  Also, if a family receives a waitlist offer that they do not wish to accept, they can decline it and remain enrolled at their previous assigned school.

How many different waitlists can I be on?

Each student can be on a maximum of 5 waitlists. 

Each waitlist is specific to a school, grade, and program. If a student is applying to multiple programs at the same school, they will be on a different waitlist for each of their program choices. 

When I receive my school assignment and am automatically placed on waitlists for my higher-ranked choices, can I change or cancel my waitlist choices?

Yes. Families will be able to cancel their waitlist choices, change their order, or join additional waitlists after they receive their initial waitlist status notification. 

Applicants who join a new waitlist will be added to the bottom of it (as will all new applicants). If they change the order of their existing waitlist schools, they keep their position on each waitlist.

If aplicants are already on 5 waitlists, they will need to cancel one of their requests in order to join a new waitlist.

When is the earliest that applicants can change their Wait List choices? The latest?

Applicants who apply on time must wait until they receive their assignment letter in late March before changing their waitlist choices or adding new ones. 

No changes to the Wait List will be accepted after August 6.

If I want a school other than the one that I was assigned, when can I expect to be offered a spot at one of my more preferred schools?

The Enrollment Center will begin to offer spots to students from schools’ waitlists on April 21, 2025. On this same date, students can enroll immediately into any school where there is still space and no waitlist, regardless of whether they applied on time or not. The Enrollment Center expects to make new waitlist offers every few weeks until the end of August.

Is there an Appeals process, for families that need a specific school placement to accommodate a hardship?

Families who cannot attend their assigned school due to unique hardships such as medical or family situations will be able to request an Appeal for one school. Appeals are considered only for cases where the student’s needs cannot be met at the assigned school, and can be met at a different specific school placement. An independent appeals committee reviews appeal requests and determines whether to approve or deny each request. Decisions made by the appeals committee are final, and cannot be further appealed. Details and dates for the appeals submission will be shared at the time of Main Round school assignments.

Is it possible for my waitlist number to increase instead of decrease? Why?

Yes, in some cases, applicants get moved to the top of the waitlist based on a correction, an approved Appeal, or a new sibling placement. In these cases, the other students on the same waitlist will see their position number increase, meaning there are more applicants between them and the front of the line.

If I get into my waitlist school, am I automatically transferred there? Or do I have a chance to Accept or Decline?

Families will have the option  to accept or decline the offer to transfer to their waitlist school. They will be able to Accept or Decline in ParentVUE, or by emailing or calling the Enrollment Center. If a family declines their waitlist offer, their previous school assignment will be preserved. If a family accepts their waitlist offer, it will replace their previous assignment. 

What happens if I miss the response deadline when I’m offered a space at my waitlist school?

If a family does not reply by the deadline, their offer will expire. They will no longer have the option to transfer into that school. Their lower-ranked choices will also be lost at that point, but their higher-ranked choices will not be impacted. 

ParentVUE is not accessible outside the United States, so in order to accept or decline a waitlist assignment while outside of the country, families should email or call the Enrollment Center. 

If I receive my #2 choice, can I continue to wait for my #1 choice? Will you reach out to me when I get to my #1 choice?

Once a family receives an offer for one of their requested schools (for example #2), they will continue to be on the waitlist for their higher-ranked choices (for this example, #1). 

The Enrollment Center will send a message for each distinct school/program offer when an applicant reaches the top of that waitlist, and the family will have the option to accept or decline each offer. 

If I receive my #2 choice, what happens to my #3, #4, and #5 choice schools?

As soon as a family receives an offer to one of their requested schools, they are automatically removed from schools that are lower on their choice list, regardless of whether they accept or decline the offer to transfer. For example, if a family receives their #2 choice, their requests to your #3, #4, and #5 schools are canceled automatically. 

Families should ensure that the order of waitlist schools reflects their true order of preference at all times. If an applicant prefers their #3 school more than their #2 school, the family should edit their application so that the order of their choices matches that preference. When an applicant changes the order of their existing choices, the applicant’s waitlist position will remain the same for each school. Editing the application in this way will not push an applicant to the bottom of the waitlists.

Can I continue to add waitlist choices, even after I’ve received offers to my top choice schools?

Yes, families can continue to join waitlists for additional schools. However, after the Main Round application run deadline (1/31), applicants will be placed at the bottom of the waitlist at the time they apply.

How can Interdistrict applicants participate in the process?

Interdistrict applicants should submit the application by the January 31, 2025 deadline. Interdistrict permits will be due by February 17, 2025.  Interdistrict students can only be assigned if an approved permit is received from their district of residence.

Interdistrict applicants who apply and submit their interdistrict permit on time may receive a school assignment in March, along with SF residents.

Interdistrict applicants can also participate in the waitlist process, regardless of when they submit their application and permit. As more SF residents join waitlists, they will go ahead of interdistrict applicants on the same waitlists. Each time this happens, interdistrict applicants may see their position number increase, meaning there are more students between them and the front of the line.

How will the District notify and educate families about this new enrollment process?

The Enrollment Center will be providing training  for family-facing staff at school sites during the Fall of 2024, and will include information about the new process in family enrollment workshops in October and November. The annual Enrollment Guide will reflect this change, and district webpages including sfusd.edu/apply will contain additional details, dates, and resources.

Who was consulted in the development of this change?

In late 2023, staff sought family and school feedback on these changes. We conducted 15 different community feedback sessions in English, Spanish, and Cantonese, in which over 200 people participated, and surveyed a total of 882 families and other stakeholders. Engagement included 25 different Site Leaders who we engaged asynchronously and through a virtual meeting. Responses were largely in favor of the proposals:

  • The proposed changes have a great deal of support across the board: 74% of respondents supported the proposal to eliminate Round 2 and 79% supported allowing multiple wait lists, with only 10% and 9%, respectively, opposing these proposals.
  • We looked across race, income, and zip code, and for every demographic at least 60% of respondents supported both proposals. (To see family responses disaggregated by race/ethnicity and income, and school responses please review our data slides.)
  • School Principals are also very supportive of the proposed changes: 80% and 76% supported each of the 2 proposed changes.

Who can I reach out to with questions? Link to this section

Please reach out to the Enrollment Center with any questions that you may have! 

This page was last updated on October 4, 2024