Skip To Main Content

November Marks Launch Date for 2023-24 Enrollment and School of Choice Priority Window

RSS Feeds Subscribe to Alerts
November Marks Launch Date for 2023-24 Enrollment and School of Choice Priority Window


Do you have a child who will be new to the Redwood City School District (RCSD) in 2023-24? Or is your child currently enrolled in the District, but wishing to explore another program or school?

Mark your calendar! The priority window opens November 4, 2022 and closes Friday, January 13, 2023. 

What is the Priority Window?

Because placement into a specific program or school is determined based on seat availability, applying during the priority window increases the probability that a family will be placed in the program or school of their choice. The later the family applies, the less likely seats will be available.

In addition, students who register during the summer, which is considered late registration, are only temporarily enrolled in their neighborhood school for the first 10 days of the school year, and may be moved if it is determined that there are not enough seats available.

While students can enroll for most schools at any time during the school year, applying during the priority window with all required documents submitted, is highly encouraged as it increases the probability for placement. It is also important to note that applying to some specialized programs is only available during the priority window.

What Does a Family Need to Do?

Depending on whether the student is already enrolled or new to the district, the current site, the current grade level, and the family’s wishes for the next school year, the process will vary. The guide below has been created to help families maximize the enrollment and School of Choice priority window:

Current PreK Families:

Families whose child currently attends preschool will need to enroll for Transitional Kindergarten (TK) or Kindergarten in 2023-24. This includes both families whose child attends a private preschool provider as well as children currently enrolled in the California State Preschool Program.

Language immersion students, in both Mandarin and Spanish, currently enrolled in PreK on the Adelante Selby Spanish Immersion School campus or the Orion Alternative School campus, both have priority to continue with the language program at their current school.

Current TK Families:

Families whose child currently attends Transitional Kindergarten (TK) will need to enroll for Kindergarten at their assigned neighborhood school for 2023-24. The following two options are also available:

  • All TK families have priority to stay at their current TK site should they wish for their child to continue there.

  • All TK families have the option to fill out a School of Choice form should they wish to apply for a program or school other than their current or neighborhood school. 

Current 2nd Grade Families:

Families whose child currently attends 2nd Grade will participate in the Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®), which is the assessment RCSD uses in the North Star Academy (NSA) admissions process. RCSD 2nd grade students will participate in the CogAT at their current school during the school day.

Once families receive their child’s CogAT assessment results during winter break, they will be able to determine if they would like to apply for the 2023-24 school year for 3rd Grade.

The application window for NSA opens Tuesday, January 3 and closes Friday, January 13. Applicants will be entered into a random computerized lottery and families will receive notification (offer for placement or waitlist number) in February of 2023.
 

Current K-4 Families Wishing to Transfer to Another Program or School:

Families whose child currently attends any K-4 Grade and wishes to transfer to another program or school within RCSD, will need to submit a School of Choice form.

The School of Choice priority window opens Friday, November 4 and closes Friday, January 13. Applicants will be entered into a random computerized lottery and families will receive notification (offer for placement or waitlist number) in February and March of 2023. 

Current 5th Grade Families:

All families whose child currently attends 5th Grade at Adelante Selby Spanish Immersion, Henry Ford, Orion Alternative, or Taft schools will automatically roll over to Kennedy Middle School for 6th grade as Kennedy is their assigned middle school. 

Because Clifford, Garfield, Hoover, Roosevelt, and Roy Cloud schools are all K-8 schools, current 5th Grade families at these schools will automatically rollover to 6th Grade at their current school. 

Because McKinley Institute of Technology (MIT) is a School of Choice specialized program, families whose children want to attend MIT will need to submit a School of Choice form. 

A School of Choice form is also the process for families wishing to apply for middle school at any of the K-8 schools or for current K-8 families wishing to enroll at any other school. 

The School of Choice priority window opens Friday, November 4 and closes Friday, January 13. Applicants will be entered into a random computerized lottery and families will receive notification (offer for placement or waitlist) in February and March of 2023. 

Current 3rd-7th Graders and Non RCSD 2nd Graders:

CogAT testing for 2nd graders who don’t attend RCSD schools, but live within the RCSD attendance zone, as well as all 3rd-7th graders (including RCSD 3rd-7th graders) will take place at North Star Academy on the following dates and times:

  • Saturday December 3, 9 am, 11 am, and 1 pm.

  • Thursday December 8, 3 pm.

  • Saturday December 10, 9 am, and 11 am.

Families who plan to have their student participate in testing on any of these dates for non RCSD 2nd graders and all 3rd-7th graders need to register. The testing registration window will open on November 28. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit the school’s website as information will continue to be available closer to the date.

Current 6-8 Families Wishing to Transfer to Another Program or School:

Families whose child currently attends any 6-8 Grade and wishes to transfer to another program or school within RCSD, will need to submit a School of Choice form.

The School of Choice priority window opens Friday, November 4 and closes Friday, January 13. Applicants will be entered into a random computerized lottery and families will receive notification (offer for placement or waitlist number) in February and March of 2023. 

All RCSD families interested in applying to another school or program 2023-24 and all new families to RCSD are encouraged to follow this timeline for additional details, key dates, and deadlines.