Arizona parents are lucky to have the freedom to choose where their child may attend school, even if it’s outside of their district of residence, thanks to the state’s Open Enrollment law. Understanding the Open Enrollment process can be a bit tricky, but with a little guidance, applying for admission doesn’t have to be a confusing swirl of misinformation.
“The state law allows parents to apply for admission to any public school, as long as there is classroom space available,” explained Paradise Valley School District (PVSchools) Communications Specialist Becky Kelbaugh. “Open Enrollment is available to all Arizona-based students.”
And, although the next school year may seem a long way off, now is the time to enroll for the 2017-18 school year.
“At PVSchools, our Early Bird Round of open enrollment begins September 1, 2016, and concludes on December 1,” Kelbaugh said. These applicants will be notified prior to winter break. “The Final Round, which is for out-of-district families only, begins December 2 and concludes on January 21. These applicants will receive email notification in February.”
The open enrollment application is available online and may be dropped off at your school of choice (to be forwarded to the District Administrative Center); mailed to 15002 N. 32nd Street, ATT: OE, or; scanned and emailed to [email protected].
Still have questions? Kelbaugh offers five tips to assist parents as they register at PVSchools.
- Open enrollment is not on a first-come, first-served basis, as everyone applying during the Early Bird Round has the same opportunity for acceptance.
- After the open enrollment period closes, out-of-district parents may submit applications to the principal of the school they wish their child to attend. Principals will notify parents of their child’s enrollment status as soon as they are able to determine space availability.
- Students currently attending under open enrollment do not need to reapply for the following school year, including students who are advancing to middle school or high school, as long as that school is in their current school feeder group.
- Applications for siblings of students currently participating in open enrollment receive priority status in the open enrollment process.
- Once accepted to a PVSchool under the open enrollment process, parents are responsible for providing transportation for their child to and from school.
Learn more about Open Enrollment at pvschools.net/open
For more information about the Paradise Valley Unified School District, visit https://www.pvschools.net/.