Applying to Public School in San Francisco - SFUSD
When making the decision as to whether your child will attend public or private school in San Francisco, there are many options to consider, unique to each family. If you do decide to apply to the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), there are a variety of resources out there to help you navigate through the enrollment process. Currently in San Francisco there are 72 SFUSD elementary schools. Schools vary in that some of them offer immersion programs in languages such as Spanish, Mandarin, or Japanese, and 8 of the schools are K-8 instead of K-5. In San Francisco, the school district uses a tie-breaker (priority) and lottery system for how children are assigned schools.
enrollment process
The enrollment process for SFUSD starts very early. Enrollment forms are usually due sometime in mid-January, with school placements notices for the fall start date sent out in mid-March. If families missed this first deadline, the next deadline for enrolling is usually in April. It’s important to note that a child must be 5 years old on or before September 1, to be eligible for SFUSD Kindergarten and 6 years old on or before September 1 to be eligible to attend SFUSD first grade (*please check the SFUSD website to make sure these age requirements have not changed since this blog posting).
When listing your school choices on the enrollment forms, it is important to list several schools and not just a few in your top ranking. If a family does not get their top choice from the first round, they can apply again for the next round (there are 4 rounds total to help you get your choice school). Students move around school placements several times through the student assignment system, so that in the fall on the first two weeks of school, students may be assigned a school that they were wait-listing for.
research
One of the best places to start your research is the SFUSD website which has a wealth of resources to help guide you through the enrollment process. The SFUSD Enrollment Guide provides detailed information on the enrollment process and the school options. When doing your research, some things to note are which school is in your attendance area (as you have higher priority to get into that school), as well as each elementary school’s feeder middle school, for which you will get a priority for 6th grade assignment. These can all impact your school ranking choices.
Another way to learn about the various school options and which ones would be a good fit for your child is to schedule several school tours, where you can meet the principal, faculty, and current parents of students. Go to each school’s profile page and click on School Tours, or contact the individual schools directly for their schedules. The school’s profile pages also have information on their school climate, test scores, student population, and other information to help you make an informed decision.
additional resources
There are several website that provide rankings for each school, such as greatschools.org for reviews, which can be an additional resource.
One nonprofit organization, Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco (PPS-SF), offers resources to support families through the enrollment process. This includes Enrolling in SFUSD Public Schools Workshops which families can attend for free at libraries or community centers. PPS-SF’s workshops provide you with information about the enrollment process and programs. The enrollment page on the Parents for Public Schools website, located here has additional tips about the enrollment process. Their staff also provide one-on-one coaching for questions that you may have about the process, schools or programs. PPS-SF can also connect you to parent ambassadors at the public schools where you can ask current parents questions about their specific schools.
important sfusd dates
Make sure to mark your calendars to attend the annual SFUSD Enrollment Fair, which usually takes place in the month of October, where all of the schools attend and provide a resource table with representatives from each school. This fair is a great opportunity to meet staff, parents, administrators from all of the public schools, ask questions, and attend workshops on the enrollment process. If you are not able to attend the workshops at the enrollment fair, the SFUSD Education Placement Center (EPC) also offers various enrollment workshops in the months of November and December at the EPC.
*We encourage you to visit the SFUSD website for the most accurate updated information on applying for public school, and hope that this guide was helpful to you.
At Peekadoodle Preschool, we support families during the kindergarten application process, and also provide additional guidance for families who are applying to private, independent, and parochial schools. To learn more about which schools our preschool graduates have attended, please visit our website.
Annie Liu
Director of Marketing & Operations
Peekadoodle Preschool: 4228 Geary Blvd, SF 94118