Heads Up, Parents: Open Enrollment For 2015-16 Napa Valley School Year Begins Dec. 1

Parents who wish to register their children as Napa Valley Unified School District students or who are interested in applying for open enrollment for the 2015-2016 school year can do so beginning on Monday, Dec. 1, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Elena Toscano announced Thursday.

For the first time, the open enrollment process will be conducted online, though parents can still visit a school site to access the online feature.

Open enrollment will close Friday, Jan. 30, 2015; parents of incoming kindergarten or transitional kindergarten students will continue to be able to register their students right up until the 2015 school year begins in August 2015.

NVUSD students are assigned to attend elementary, middle and high schools in designated areas, which are typically within residential neighborhoods.

Open enrollment is an opportunity to request a school of choice different from the assigned school. Any student who wishes to attend a different elementary, middle, or high school from their assigned school must apply through open enrollment.

“We have excellent neighborhood schools throughout the District,” Toscano said. “Some parents and students, however, decide they want to pursue a specific academic focus at a magnet school or be in a certain school environment, such as a larger or smaller school. Sometimes there are family or employment issues. Open enrollment offers a way for us to help students achieve their full potential and to be as responsive to families as we can.”

To help them learn more about school offerings, parents can attend the Annual School Fair on Nov. 19 at the District office, 2425 Jefferson Street in Napa.

The event features displays and staff from each of the elementary and middle schools in the District.

Not all students who request open enrollment are placed in a new school. Acceptance is based on available space and enrollment priorities, such as keeping siblings together, that are outlined in Board Policy 5116.1 and state law.

The District website at www.nvusd.k12.ca.us features an FAQ and extensive detail on the open enrollment process, along with policies, laws and regulations.

For most students who apply for open enrollment, acceptance will be based on an unbiased lottery process.

Families will be notified in early February if they are selected. They then have 48 hours to accept the new school placement or the spot will be offered to the next student on the list. Once a student is accepted to a new school, the student does not have to re-apply every year to continue at that school.

As of early November, NVUSD has determined there is space available at the following schools.

High Schools (grades 9 through 12)

• Napa High: Limited space available.

• Vintage High: Space available.

• American Canyon High: Space available.

• New Technology High: All students must open enroll to attend and complete specific school requirements.

• Napa Valley Independent Studies: Enrollment is by referral, followed by a placement process.

Middle Schools (grades 6 through 8)

• Redwood Middle: Closed to open enrollment, except to applicants with siblings already enrolled to attend the school in 2015-2016.

• Harvest Middle: Space available. (Fifth-grade students from Mt. George Elementary School and Bel Aire Park Magnet School will have priority enrollment after residents.)

• Silverado Middle: Space available.

• American Canyon Middle: Closed to open enrollment, except to applicants with siblings already enrolled to attend the school in 2015-2016.

• River Middle School: All students must open enroll to attend and complete specific school requirements.

• Napa Valley Independent Studies: Enrollment is by referral, followed by a placement process.

Elementary Schools (Transitional kindergarten through grade 5 or 6)

All elementary schools have space, with the exception of

• Canyon Oaks Elementary: Closed to open enrollment, except to applicants with siblings already enrolled to attend the school in 2015-2016.

• Napa Valley Language Academy: All students must open enroll to attend and complete specific school requirements.

• Napa Valley Independent Studies: Enrollment is by referral, followed by a placement process.

To verify a neighborhood school, visit www.nvusd.k12.ca.us, select “Our Schools” from the top navigation, then choose “Finding a School.”

Open enrollment dates

Dec. 1, 2014, through Jan. 30, 2015

The vision of the Napa Valley Unified School District is to transform lives by instilling 21st century skills and to inspire lifelong learning in every student.

--Info courtesy of Napa Valley Unified School District.

--Image via Shutterstock