How K-12 Students Are Assigned to Schools

Every newly-entering K-12 student who resides in Dallas ISD boundaries is guaranteed a seat at their zoned school. To obtain information about which school your student is zoned to, please visit the Choose Dallas ISD School Finder. If your K-12 student is interested in enrolling in any other school, you will need to submit a Choose Dallas ISD enrollment application. Each application submitted by January 31 will go through the following process:

Eligibility is Determined

Prior to being considered for enrollment, it will need to be determined if your student is eligible for the school(s) or program(s) they applied to. While most applicants are eligible to attend any Dallas ISD school, some schools or programs have certain criteria that a student must meet.

For example, if your English-speaking 5th grade student is applying to attend a two-way dual language program but has never been exposed to Spanish, they will likely be ineligible given that Spanish proficiency is a prerequisite to be successful in this program. Some magnet programs have GPA or test score requirements. Please visit each school’s website to learn more about their eligibility requirements.

If your student is deemed “ineligible” to attend a school to which they’ve applied, the school will email you to let you know. If your student is deemed “eligible”, their application will move to the next step in the process, which may include an on-campus assessment or interview.

On-Campus Assessment/Interview (if applicable)

If your student has only applied to Dallas ISD neighborhood and/or Transformation schools, no on-campus assessment or interview will be required.

If your student has applied to a Dallas ISD magnet or P-TECH/Early College, they may be required to attend either an on-campus assessment or interview. School staff will be in contact with you to schedule a time and date for this appointment.

During your student’s assessment or interview, they will be assessed by the school staff and given a score or set of scores that will allow the school to rank them amongst other applicants. These scores will help determine whether or not your student will ultimately receive an offer to the school.

Lotteries Run

Not every Dallas ISD school adheres to the same lottery structure. Choice schools prioritize sibling applicants over non-siblings. Some schools offer half of their seats to students who are economically disadvantaged and the other half to those who are not. Some schools ensure a diverse mixture of students by taking a certain number of students from various areas of the city.

Once a school’s lottery has been run, each applicant will be moved to either a “pre-offer” status or a “waitlisted” status.

Offer Determination

In order to maximize the number of students who will receive offers to the schools of their choosing, each applicant may receive no more than one enrollment offer.

To determine which offer will be sent to your student, the Choose Dallas ISD system will look at all schools at which your student is in “pre-offer” status (meaning, they got in via the lottery process). The “pre-offer” at your highest-ranked school will be the one offer that your student receives. All lower-ranked “pre-offer” statuses will be automatically withdrawn and your student will no longer be considered for enrollment there.

Parent Notifications Sent

By March 1, 2025, all applicants will receive an email (and text, if applicable) letting them know of their student’s status at each of the schools to which they applied.

• Enrollment Offer --> all offers are subject to Choose Dallas ISD terms and conditions and must be officially accepted by Monday, March 17, 2025, 11:59 p.m. You may accept or decline the offer by logging into the Choose Dallas ISD system.
• Waitlisted --> your student will be waitlisted at any school they ranked higher (i.e., wanted more) than the offer they received. He/she will remain on the school’s waitlist until one of two things happen -- either space becomes available or you remove them from the waitlist (in essence, stating you are no longer interested in enrolling there). Waitlist placement can be viewed by logging into the Choose Dallas ISD system. All waitlists will expire 10 days after the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year.
• Withdrawn --> your student’s application will be withdrawn from any school they ranked lower (i.e., wanted less) than the offer they received. He/she will no longer be considered for enrollment at the school(s). If you change your mind and would like your student to be considered for enrollment again, you will need to submit a Round 2 application. These applications will be available for schools that have space available in the Choose Dallas ISD system beginning on March 24, 2025. Round 2 applicants will be considered on a first- come, first-served basis.