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To Choose or Not to Choose
If you enter the choice process, you’ll encounter a lot of school options.
Your Neighborhood School
Are you happy with the school in your neighborhood? Good. You can send your child there, no questions asked.
Other Schools in the District
School districts in San Diego offer a “choice window” for parents who want to explore other schools within the district. The window is the period of time when you can apply to change schools. Keep an eye out for choice window dates, and if you can, tour the school to see if it’s right for your child.
Charter Schools
Charter schools are free to attend but managed independently from traditional schools. They offer different educational approaches. If you’re interested in a charter school, you must apply to each one individually.
Magnet Schools
These schools are managed by districts, but they often have different, specialized focuses on arts or science or languages. They are also free to attend. Apply during the choice window.
Interdistrict Transfer
This isn’t an easy process, but you can apply to a school in a different school district entirely. First, you have to get an Interdistrict Transfer form from the school district where you live. Once you’ve filled it out, that district will review your application and then forward it to the school district you’d like to attend for an additional review.
Fill Out Applications
Now that you know about all your options, make sure you know which applications you need to submit and deadlines.
Your New School
Congratulations, now you have a new school to call your own.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the process for student interdistrict transfers. Interdistrict Transfer forms are provided by a family’s local school district and then reviewed by that district and the district to which families would like to transfer. A previous version of the story incorrectly stated that those forms are provided by the San Diego County Office of Education, though the San Diego County Board of Education does hear appeals when families disagree with a school district’s transfer decision.
