San Diego Unified School District families have until Nov. 15 to apply for the district's Choice enrollment program for the 2026-27 school year.
The priority window lets families request a school other than their assigned campus, with access to programs including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate (IB) and STEM/STEAM courses, FOX 5 San Diego reported. The district is also accepting applications from families living outside the city of San Diego.
For La Jolla families, the district operates La Jolla High School, Muirlands Middle School, Bird Rock Elementary, La Jolla Elementary and Torrey Pines Elementary. Whether all five campuses are available as Choice destinations for the upcoming year is not specified in district materials reviewed for this story.
The process is not first-come, first-served. All applications submitted during the priority window enter a January lottery, according to the district's Choice enrollment guide. The district said the electronic lottery uses factors including sibling enrollment, active military status and program continuity.
Families can list multiple schools in order of preference on a single application. Selecting more than one school does not affect first-choice priority, the guide states. Only one application per student is allowed, and twins or multiples should be listed on the same form.
Superintendent Fabi Bagula said the program aims to connect students with schools that "reflect each student's unique strengths and dreams."
Lottery results are expected by mid-February 2027, giving families time to arrange before- and after-school care.
Transportation is limited across all Choice programs. Families who choose a school other than their assigned campus waive the right to transportation as a related service through a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP), according to the district guide. That means families opting into Choice should plan to provide their own transportation.
Transitional Kindergarten (TK) seats through Choice are expected to be limited. Children turning 4 by Sept. 1 are eligible. The district encourages TK families to pre-enroll at their school of residence in addition to submitting a Choice application. Five dedicated magnet schools enroll TK students exclusively through Choice: Barnard, Language Academy, Longfellow, Mountain View and Muir Language Academy.
Families needing multilingual support can contact the Family Welcome and Enrollment Center at (619) 260-2410. The district encourages families to tour schools before applying.
