What is the difference between an Intra-District and
Inter-District Permit?
Intra-District Permits are for families who currently
live within the SCUSD boundaries to request a transfer to a
school that is not their neighborhood school (school of
residence). Visit our SchoolFinder
tool to find your neighborhood school.
Inter-District Permits are used to transfer in and out of
the Sacramento City School District.
Do all district schools and specialty programs participate in the
District Permit Process?
No. Not all district schools or specialty programs participate in
the District Permit process. Some schools reach their grade level
enrollment capacity prior to the District Permit time period.
Due to the unprecedented number of applications submitted to the
TK Lottery, district permit requests will not be available for
Transitional Kindergarten at this time. The next opportunity for
in-district families to apply for transitional kindergarten will
be through regular registration starting on May 19, 2025.
See our list of participating schools and programs in the
2025-2026 District Permit process here.
My student is currently on an Open Enrollment/High School
Specialty Program waiting list. Can we apply for an
intra-district permit?
If your student is on an Open Enrollment/High School Specialty
Program waiting list, your intra-district permit application will
be marked ineligible.
If you would like to remove your student from an Open
Enrollment/High School Specialty Program waiting list, you
can log into your SchoolMint account and withdraw the application
or email Becky Petrie at becky-petrie@scusd.edu for
assistance.
How many schools or specialty programs can my student apply to?
Students may apply to one school or specialty program.
What schools do not have an attendance area boundary assignment?
- A.M. Winn Public Waldorf TK-8 School
- Alice Birney Public Waldorf TK-8 School
- Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School
- Bowling Green Chacon Language and Science Academy
- Bowling Green McCoy Academy for Excellence
- Camellia Basic Elementary – Grades 1-6
- George Washington Carver School of Arts and Sciences
- Leonardo da Vinci TK-8 School
- Phoebe Hearst Elementary School
- New Joseph Bonnheim Elementary School
- School of Engineering and Science
- The Met Sacramento High School
- Umoja International Academy – Grades 9-12
- West Campus High School
Are computers available for families to use to apply?
Yes, the Enrollment Center has Chromebooks available for families
to use in filling out the online application.
Can I make a change to my student’s application?
Yes, changes can be made to a submitted application anytime
during the application window, between April 15 – 25, 2025.
Make sure to resubmit the edited application by the
application deadline, April 25, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
How will we know you received my student’s application?
Once you successfully submit the district permit application,
there will be a confirmation screen and notification confirming
the submission. Families will receive the notification based on
what preferences (email, text message or both) were selected when
registering. Families can log into their SchoolMint account at any
time to see the status of their application(s).
What is the SchoolMint Message Center and where is it located?
Log onto your SchoolMint
Parent/Guardian account and click the Messages button in the
top green navigation bar. The Message Center has all messages
sent to you from the platform organized by date. If you only
receive text message notifications, you can log into SchoolMint
and read full messages in the Message Center.
If my student is new to the district, when do we register them?
When applicants are offered a placement, they will have to submit
an online registration form and provide the following information
by their offer deadline to finish the acceptance process.
Upload one of the following options listed under (Ed. Code
48204.1):
- Utility service contract, statement, or payment receipts
- Property tax payment receipts
- Rental property contract, lease with payment receipts
- Voter registration
- Correspondence from a government agency
- Pay stubs
A link to the registration form will be included in the offer
notification.
Should I register my incoming kindergartener in their
neighborhood school before I apply for an intra-district permit?
It is recommended that you register your incoming kindergartener
in their neighborhood school ( i.e. school of residence) before
or after you apply for an intra-district permit in case your
child is not selected through the lottery. Learn how to register for
Kindergarten.
Is transportation provided by the school district to my District
Permit School?
No, transportation is not provided for students on a district
permit. Parents are responsible for transporting their students.
Can I use my work address for my student to apply?
The Sacramento City Unified School District interprets the Allen
Bill in the following ways:
- A parent/guardian who resides outside the SCUSD boundaries,
is required to provide on letterhead a statement from the
employer verifying employment and the work address within the
SCUSD boundaries.
- Since our district utilizes addresses for school placement,
in order to establish residency the student must enroll and
attend the neighborhood school associated with the work address
for a full academic year. So for example if the work address is
associated with California Middle School the student must apply
and be approved via Inter-district permit and attend California
Middle School.
- Once this is complete and the student is attending for a full
academic year, the student can then apply for any programs
through the High School Specialty Program (HSSP) or Open
Enrollment (OE).
- Families cannot use their work address to apply for the HSSP
or OE if they are not attending our school(s) through the Allen
Bill currently.
- Residency is established by attending a full academic year.
- Students who live outside the district boundaries may apply
from April 7, 2025 at 8:00am, through April 25, 2025 at 5:00pm,
via an inter-district transfer permit, to any school or program
that still has openings.
Can I turn in a late application for my student?
All applications must be turned in by 5:00 p.m on April
25, 2025. No late applications will be accepted.
When do I find out if my student is accepted?
Notification will be sent to families through SchoolMint
on May 12, 2025. Families will receive the notification
based on what preferences (email, text message or both) were
selected when registering.
Are translation services available during the application
process?
Yes, the SchoolMint application uses Google Translate, which can
translate text into over 100 languages. Guardians can select
their preferred language from the menu at the top of the page to
view translated information.
The district’s Matriculation & Orientation Center (MOC) can also
provide interpretation services to assist families with the
application process. MOC staff are available to assist at the Enrollment Center.
My family is moving outside of the SCUSD boundary. What will
happen to my student’s acceptance?
If you move outside of the SCUSD boundary, it will void your
student’s acceptance offer. You must register your student with
the new school district. You can apply for an inter-district
permit after you get an approved
Inter-District Permit Transfer form by your new district of
residence.
I live within the SCUSD boundary, but my student attends a
private school. Can my student apply through an Intra-District
Permit?
Yes.
I live outside of the SCUSD boundary and one of my students
already attends a SCUSD school. Do my other students have sibling
preference?
Yes, the student(s) applying will receive sibling priority for
inter-district permits.
I am a SCUSD employee and live outside of the SCUSD boundary.
Does my student have preference to attend the school I work at?
Yes, the student applying will receive parent employment priority
for inter-district permits.
How does the lottery work?
The District Permit application is not a first-come, first-serve
basis. You may apply anytime during the application window to be
considered.
SCUSD uses a computerized, third-party lottery system to place
eligible students at their school or specialty program. A lottery
must be implemented if applications exceed the grade capacity at
the requested program.
One of the following lottery scenarios will occur:
- Your student is selected for their school or specialty
program and receives a notification communication to accept the
placement through SchoolMint.
- If your student was not selected, they will be notified that
they have been placed on a waiting list* and then be notified if
a spot opens up.
What happens if my student doesn’t get offered a spot at the
school or specialty program?
You will receive a notification from SchoolMint that the
school or program you have applied for has reached space
capacity.
Students who apply to a school or specialty program, and have not
met the admissions requirements will become ineligible and not be
included in the lottery.
Who has priority in the lottery selection process?
Lottery Selection Priorities
1st Priority
- Intra-District Permit applicants with a sibling already in
attendance at the selected school and will continue to be
enrolled in the upcoming school year.
2nd Priority
- Intra-District Permit applicants whose parent/guardian’s
primary place of employment is the selected school.
3rd Priority* – Current SCUSD TK Students Only
- Intra-District Permit applicants who apply for kindergarten
at the school they attended for TK.
4th Priority
- All other Intra-District Permits
5th priority
- Approved Inter-District Permit applicants with a sibling
already in attendance at the selected school and will continue to
be enrolled in the upcoming school year.
6th priority
- Approved Inter-District Permit applicants whose
parent/guardian’s primary place of employment is the selected
school.
7th Priority* – Current SCUSD TK Students Only
- Approved Inter-District Permit applicants with students who
apply for kindergarten at the school they attended for TK.
*Does not apply to schools without attendance boundaries.
