Students are assigned to a school based on the official residence of their parent/guardian. This is defined as the student’s zoned school. 

Washoe County School District (WCSD) has made a promise to our families. We will know every student by NAME, STRENGTH, and NEED so they graduate prepared for the future they choose, and we will deliver on this promise in partnership with our FAMILIES and COMMUNITY.  With this promise in mind, we offer families the choice of their zoned school or the school of their choice, outside of their zoned school, through an application process. We believe students will be the most successful in the school where they feel connected and seen and with an academic program that best suits their needs. 

The School of Choice process begins with completing an application through the following link:

Link will be available on October 1st, 2024. Please check back.

After completion of the School of Choice application, please complete Online Registration (OLR) for the school year 2025-2026. Online Registration will open November 1st, 2024. 

• If you are a current WCSD parent/guardian and are unsure of your login and password information, please contact your current school of enrollment. 
• If you are new to WCSD please visit the District website.
• Click on “Students and Parents”
• Click on “Enroll Today Discover Tomorrow” to complete your initial online registration. 

WCSD schools are open for applications during the School of Choice window. This includes WCSD elementary, middle, and high schools.

If a school is missing from the list of options, this indicates that the school is at capacity and cannot take additional students.

Available school seats are determined in collaboration with the Demographics, Zoning, and Geographic Information System (GIS), the Facilities and Capital Projects department and the Office of Teaching, Learning and Leadership. Many factors are considered, including a school’s available capacity and enrollment, projected future enrollment, current staffing vacancies, and current building utilization. 

The dates for the application window for the 2025-2026 school year are as follows:

Fall Window: October 1st, 2024 through October 24th, 2024.

The School of Choice application will allow for a family to select up to three (3) school options in order of preference.

Once the School of Choice application is approved and accepted by the parent/guardian, the student will be assigned to the approved school through the grade levels available at that school. Students who are in grades five (5) and eight (8) will be assigned to their next grade level zoned school unless a new School of Choice application is completed for a student’s sixth (6^th) or ninth (9^th) grade year.

WCSD schools are open to School of Choice applications. However, once a school is determined by the Demographics, Zoning, and Geographic Information System (GIS), the Facilities and Capital Projects department and the Office of Teaching, Learning and Leadership to be at capacity, the school must deny applications. Some WCSD schools with special programming are not available for a School of Choice placement.

Approvals may be granted when:

• Building capacity and class/program sizes allow for additional students.
• All teaching positions are fully staffed.
• A School of Choice application has been completed and turned in during an open window.

• The school is at or above the building capacity.
• The school is not fully staffed.
• The class or program is full and no additional seats are available.
• The school has been designated by capital projects as “overcrowded.”

Parents/guardians will be notified through the Avela application system. Log in to your Avela Account to see any updates to your School of Choice application. All communication will occur through this site regarding your application. If you need assistance, please email us at schoolofchoice@washoeschools.net or call 775-333-6099. 

For the fall window, there is no additional weight for an application turned in on day one (1) of the window vs. the last day of the window. The fall window has a lottery process. 

No, there is no waitlist option.

A lottery will occur when there are more applications to a school compared to the available open seats. Students will be enrolled based on the lottery outcome. The Lottery Process is outlined in Administrative Regulation 5015.

Yes. Each student in a household who wants to attend a school different from their zoned school will need to have their parent/guardian complete the School of Choice application on their behalf.

Because not all schools have specialized programs (i.e., GATE, Dual Immersion, Strategies, CLS, CTE etc.), families seeking a School of Choice application for a specialized program must get approval from the Associate Chief/Administrator of the special program to determine school location options based on program availability/capacity.

Applications for students new to WCSD after the window has closed can be accepted within one (1) month or 30 days of moving into the district. Families should contact the School of Choice Office for information at 775-333-609 or schoolofchoice@washoeschools.net

Transportation will not be provided for students approved through a School of Choice application. This includes students who are on an IEP or 504 Plan with transportation as a related service at their zoned or assigned school.

• Yes, the receiving school can revoke a School of Choice application and placement for the following school year if the student does not maintain district and school attendance and behavior expectations. 
• If a parent decides to move their student out of the School of Choice school, the student will return to their zoned school. Only one application out of a student’s zoned school can be requested during a single school year.

No, a student already accepted on a variance (now called School of Choice) is pre-approved under the revised District policy and will remain assigned to the current school. No additional application is needed unless the family wants to change to a school other than their zoned school or the student will be promoting to sixth (6^th) grade or ninth (9^th) grade the following school year. 

In this event, a family will need to work with the Coordinator from the School of Choice Office.

If the school has room and the student is meeting district attendance and behavior expectations, the student may stay at the School of Choice location per principal discretion for the rest of the school year. The family must provide transportation to school. During the next available School of Choice window, the family should complete an application for the following school year if they want to remain at the same school. The school must contact the School of Choice Office for correct coding information in Infinite Campus. 

If a student leaves the school district and then returns within the same school year, the student is considered a returning student and would return to the same school they were attending previously. The student must meet district expectations for attendance and behavior. If these expectations were not being met, then the student will return to their zone school after returning to the district. 

If a student has never been enrolled in a WCSD school, then the student is deemed a new student and has one (1) month or 30 days to apply for a School of Choice option or attend their zoned school. 

High school Athletic Eligibility is governed by NIAA Regulations: 

1. 1. Freshman and sophomore high school students granted a School of Choice placement shall be eligible to participate in interscholastic activities at the sub-varsity level only. 
   2. Juniors and seniors who are granted a School of Choice placement are ineligible for 180 school days. If a student returns to their zoned school during the school year, the student loses his/her athletic eligibility for the remainder of the current school year. This also includes 180 school days in any other sport the student’s name appeared on a NIAA roster.

Please contact the School of Choice office at 775-333-6099 or schoolofchoice@washoeschools.net