Enrollment

New student enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year is ongoing throughout the year. New student enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year opens on December 1, 2023, and continues throughout the school year.  

• Children enrolling for the 2024-2025 school year in Kindergarten must be five years old on or before September 1, 2024. For the 2024-2025 school year, SCUSD offers Transitional Kindergarten (TK) to children who turn 5 between September 2, 2024, and June 2, 2025. 
• Children enrolling for the 2025-2026 school year in Kindergarten must be five years old on or before September 1, 2025. For the 2025-2026 school year, SCUSD offers Transitional Kindergarten (TK) to children who turn 5 between September 2, 2025, and September 1, 2026. 

All new students must enroll through our online enrollment system. If you need assistance completing a new student registration please contact the Enrollment Center by emailing enrollment@scusd.net, calling (408) 423-3596.

Required Documents for New Students 

Before you begin the new student registration on our online enrollment system we recommend that you gather all the necessary documents listed below. Make sure you have all the required documents ready and saved on the computer/laptop from which you are applying. If you are applying from your smartphone you will have to save a photograph of each document on your camera roll. Please make sure all files are legible, clear scans of the original documents in PDF, JPEG, JPG, or PNG file format. 

Birth Record

One of the following is required: birth certificate, baptism certificate, passport, or custodian of the minor (original copy must be uploaded).

Proof of Residency Documents

Students who currently live within the Santa Clara Unified School District residency boundaries are eligible to attend our schools. Parent/Guardian will need to present current required documentation as listed on the SCUSD Approved Proof of Residency Document.

• Proof of Residency Document - English 
• Proof of Residency Document - Spanish

Immunization Records (as is age-appropriate)

Immunization record must contain the student's name and date of birth. The following immunization must be administered as is age-appropriate: Polio, DTP, Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Varicella (Chicken Pox), Hepatitis B, and Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap).

• Immunization Requirements - English
• Immunization Requirements - Español

Proof of TB Risk Assessment or TB Test

Required for new students registering for preschool - 12th grade. The  Risk Assessment for School Entry form​ must be filled out and signed by a United States (US) medical provider, or provide proof of a completed TB skin test or blood test done in the US (dated 12 months prior to school entry). We may use the TB Risk Assessment or TB Test that is on file at your child's school if they are attending a school within Santa Clara County in grade TK-12.

Your primary health care provider will complete the Risk Assessment for School Entry form or TB test. If you do not have a primary care provider, these community health centers can provide testing. 

• TB Skin Test (TST/PPD) must show date given, date read (48-72 hours later), millimeter (mm) reading, and impression. 
• If test results are positive, they may start school, but must provide chest x-ray results (completed in the US within 12 months) within 20-45 days after starting school. 

Additional Information (if applicable)

Once you have gathered all the required documents, please complete the new student registration on our online enrollment system and uploaded all the necessary documents.

• Report Card/Transcript from previous school attended 
• Current IEP 
• Current 504 Plan 
• Court Restraining Order 
• Court Custody Agreement

Enroll Now

Once you have all of your documentation ready, visit our online enrollment system to enroll.

Additional Documents Due After Enrollment

Oral Health Exam (Kindergarten Only)

The Oral Health Exam can be performed by your child’s dentist up to 12 months prior to school entry and must be completed no later than May 31 of the child's Kindergarten school year. 

• Oral Health Assessment Form - English (Kindergarten only)
• Oral Health Assessment Form - Español (Kindergarten only)
• Oral Health Letter - English
• Oral Health Letter - Español

Report of Health Examination for School Entry (CHDP) (1st Grade)

To protect the health of children, California law required a health examination on school entry. The health exam may be performed by your child’s physician 18 months prior or up to 90 days after enrolling in first grade. 

• Report of Health Examination for School Entry - English/Spanish

You can schedule an in-person appointment by contacting the Enrollment Center at (408) 423-3596, enrollment@scusd.net, or using our Google Appointment Calendar. 

Acceptance into Elementary Schools or Programs of Choice is determined solely by lottery as they do not have attendance boundaries. Families wishing to enroll their child at a School of Choice are encouraged to attend a parent information session and must apply for OE. 

Millikin

Millikin School is a K-5 alternative school, providing a program that stresses the teaching of basic education fundamentals, using established teaching techniques in a structured environment. The instructional model for students is through direct group instruction. The school philosophy is committed to a major daily emphasis on reading, math, and language arts taught at grade level. For more information about, please attend a Family Information Session or visit the Millikin website.

Scott Lane Spanish Dual Language Immersion Program 

SCUSD launched its first Spanish Dual Language (DLI) Program K-5 at Scott Lane in the fall of 2020. The goals of DLI programs are to develop bilingualism/biliteracy, academic achievement, and cross-cultural competencies for all students. The DLI programs include native English-speaking students and native speakers of a foreign language. For more information about, please attend a Family Information Session or visit the Scott Lane website.

Washington Open 

Washington Open is a K-5 parent-participation school that nurtures the whole child, offering a collaborative community that allows for a rich variety of hands-on, real-world learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. We balance academic, social, physical, and emotional needs while encouraging creativity, curiosity, and a life-long love of learning. For more information about, please attend a Family Information Session or visit the Washington Open website.

Peterson+

Application Period: March 18, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. - March 29, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.

• Families who live within the Peterson Middle school boundaries only need to complete a OE Application for Peterson+ during the Peterson+ Application Period.

• Families who do not live within the Peterson Middle attendance area, must first apply and be accepted for Open Enrollment for Peterson Middle School. Then, they need to complete a OE Application for Peterson+ during the Peterson+ Application Period.

Once the Peterson+ application period closes, all applications are entered into a random lottery system. Families will be contacted with an offer or a waitlist number through their preferred method of contact listed in their online enrollment account (email and/or text). Notifications will sent no later than end of day on April 8, 2024.

If you receive an OE acceptance letter, responses are due within 5 days of the offer.

Please direct any enrollment questions to the Enrollment Center at enrollment@scusd.net or (408) 423-3596.

49ers STEM Leadership Institute (SLI)

The 49ers STEM Leadership Institute (SLI) provides a multi-year STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) enrichment, skills training, & leadership development across middle and high school. For information about the application process for the SLI program at Cabrillo Middle School (7th-8th grade) and Santa Clara High School (9th-12th grade) please visit the 49ers SLI website.

Mission Early College High School (MECHS)

Mission Early College High School is a dual enrollment partnership between Santa Clara Unified School District and West Valley-Mission Community College District that provides a learning environment which enables students to rediscover their love for learning, foster an appreciation for diversity, take responsibility for their education and lives, and develop the habit of mind of continual self-reflection. For more information about Mission Early College High School applications, please visit the MECHS website.

Elementary choice programs offer online or in-person information sessions for new families. Middle and high schools offer transition to 6th and 9th grade information sessions. All information sessions can be viewed here:  Information Session Dates and Times online.  

Kindergarten registration for the coming school year begins on December 1, 2023. Children must be five years old on or before September 1, 2024, to be eligible. Kindergarten registration is ongoing for new students entering the district at any time after the initial enrollment period.

The potential for new kindergarten enrollment in some of the District’s elementary schools may exceed the school’s capacity so parents are encouraged to register their incoming kindergarten student as early as possible. Students are placed based on their registration date. 

For more information about required forms and the registration process, please visit our Enrollment Instructions webpage.

Parents or guardians may choose a language acquisition program that best suits their child. Language acquisition programs are educational programs designed to ensure English acquisition occurs as rapidly and effectively as possible. Any language acquisition program provided by the district shall include English language development (ELD), and within a reasonable period of time, lead to grade level proficiency in English and, when the program model includes instruction in another language, proficiency in that other language. In addition, any language acquisition program shall lead to achievement of the state-adopted academic content standards in English, and, when the program model includes instruction in another language, achievement of the state-adopted academic content standards in that other language.

The Santa Clara Unified Board of Trustees has established a policy of limited Open Enrollment. Although some of our schools are already at capacity, this policy allows parents who reside within the boundaries of the district to request enrollment of their children at "any District school which may have space available for additional students." Admittance to the school of your choice under the Open Enrollment process is done by an annual random lottery system and is based on availability.

Visit the Open Enrollment webpage to find out more about the process.

Preschool registration for the next school year begins in April. Children must be 3-years-old on or before September 1, 2023, to be eligible for the 2023-2024 school year. Preschool registration is ongoing for students based on availability.

Families must complete an application through the district enrollment system. The application will serve as placement on the waitlist. Once a space is available, families are sent a registration offer. Enrollment for half and full-day state preschools is based on availability and enrollment priorities. 

For more information about required forms and the registration process, please visit our Preschool and PreK webpage.

For more information about infant and toddler services visit the Infant and Toddler Services webpage.

The transition to middle school is on the horizon for 5th grade students. Current students registered in 5th grade do not need to enroll for middle school as they will automatically be transferred to their school of residence. To find your school of residence, use our School Locator.

Middle schools will hold virtual family/student informational meetings to facilitate this transition. More information will be sent to families directly from middle schools to their future 6th grade students. Meetings dates will be posted in early January on the middle school websites — visit our Schools Directory webpage for links to school websites.

 

Santa Clara Unified continues to offer open enrollment, as space allows, at each of the district’s middle schools. Students requesting to attend a middle school other than their school of residence, and district employees living outside the district boundaries, must apply for middle school placement through the open enrollment process. Visit our Open Enrollment webpage for more information.

 

The transition to high school is on the horizon for 8th grade students. Current students registered in 8th grade do not need to enroll for high school as they will automatically be transferred to their school of residence. All incoming high school students participate in a visit with a high school counselor to submit a course request. To find your school of residence, use our School Locator.

High schools will hold virtual family/student informational meetings to facilitate this transition. More information will be sent to families directly from high schools and meeting dates will be posted on the high school websites. Visit our Schools Directory webpage for links to school websites.

Santa Clara Unified continues to offer open enrollment, as space allows, at each of the district’s high schools. Students requesting to attend a high school other than their school of residence and children of district employees living outside the district boundaries must apply for high school placement through the open enrollment process. Visit our Open Enrollment webpage for more information.

We offer TK programs at various sites throughout the district. Students will be placed at one of the TK sites based on availability. Registration in the TK program is optional and transportation is not provided. Open Enrollment does not apply to Transitional Kindergarten students, as the SCUSD Open Enrollment policy applies to K-12 students only. Visit the TK webpage for more information.

TK placements will be shared with families on May 31. Placements are completed based on the school of residence and space availability. If space is not available at the student's school of residence, the student will be placed at a school within close proximity. Transportation services are not available for TK students.

Current Transitional Kindergarten Students

We hope you and your child have found the transitional kindergarten experience to be a positive one. Your child has been given the opportunity to learn important social, emotional, and academic skills this year and they are now ready to enroll in kindergarten.                                                                                        

Current students registered in transitional kindergarten do not need to enroll for kindergarten. Students will be automatically enrolled in their school of residence for the next school year. To find your school of residence, use our online School Locator.

Please visit the TK webpage for more information and review the Enrollment Instructions above for details about the registration process.