- Houston Independent School District
- Enroll Online
Student Enrollment
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Houston ISD is committed to providing a high-quality education for every child, regardless of where they live. HISD families have choice: the choice to enroll at their zoned school, or to apply to select schools and programs districtwide.
We are here to help you every step of the way! Please contact Student Enrollment at 713-556-4826 or Enroll@HoustonISD.org with any questions.
Step-By-Step For...
New Students
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Find your neighborhood school
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Gather required documents
- Parent Identification: Driver's License, Passport, Military ID, etc.
- Student Identification: Birth Certificate, Passport, Baptismal Records, etc.
- *Proof of Address: Current Rental Lease or Mortgage Statement, Utility Bill (not including internet).
- Proof of Grade: Prior Academic Records, Final Report Card(s), Final Transcripts, etc.
- *Immunization Records: Doctor's Records or other Official Record of Vaccinations. For the list of all required vaccinations based on age and grade, please click here: Immunization Requirements
- *Proof of address and immunization records must be provided to enroll.
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Enroll online or in person
Online: You may enroll at your zoned school online through HISD Connect.
Follow the steps to create an account and sign in. Once signed in, complete the online enrollment application. You will be asked to upload your required enrollment documents (see above) upon completion of the application.
💡 TIP: Gather and organize all required documents to easily upload to the application. Clear, legible photos are acceptable.
In-Person: Go directly to your zoned school with all required documents, at your earliest convenience. A staff member at the school can assist you with the enrollment and registration process.
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Explore magnet and program choice options (optional)
Visit the Office of School Choice to learn more about the variety of schools and programs HISD has to offer. HISD strives to provide students with a variety of opportunities, empowering them to succeed from pre-kindergarten to graduation and beyond.
Questions? Please contact your neighborhood school or the Houston ISD Student Enrollment Department at 713-556-4826 / Enroll@HoustonISD.org. We are here to help you every step of the way!
Pre-Kindergarten
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1. Apply
Apply online at HoustonISD.org/SchoolChoice or
Download a paper application available online at any HISD school and at the Parent Center in the Hattie Mae White Education Support Center
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2. Rank Your Choices
Families can select up to 10 school programs on their application, with a maximum of five Magnet programs. (See Pre-K FAQ for specific Magnet programs).
Rank your selected programs in priority order, from most desired to least desired school. Families will be able to adjust the order of their choices through March 10, 2022. After March 10th, choices will be locked.
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3. Submit Your Application
Sign and submit online application via the parent portal HoustonISD.org/SchoolChoice; or
Mail or hand-deliver the paper application along with required documentation to:
Office of School Choice
Houston Independent School District
4400 West 18th Street
Houston, TX 77092 -
4. Notification Day
On April 7, 2022, notification of TEA- eligible Pre-K 4 acceptance will be viewable online and via email.
Tuition-based Pre-K 4 and TEA-eligible Pre-K 3 applications will be considered after April 21, 2022. (See Pre-K FAQ for eligibility requirements).
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5. Accept Seat
If your student has been offered a seat in a program, you will have two weeks to submit documentation and sign the entrance agreement, if applicable.
If your student is on the TEA non-eligible waitlist, you will be contacted by campus designated personnel after all TEA-eligible Pre-K 4 students have enrolled.
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Eligibility: Free vs. Tuition-Based
In Houston ISD, select free and tuition-based pre-kindergarten programs are available for eligible families. To determine if your family may be eligible for pre-kindergarten at HISD, and to learn more about applying for pre-kindergarten programs, please review the information included on this page.
ELIGIBILITY: FREE VS. TUITION-BASED
To be eligible for enrollment in a district free prekindergarten program, a child must:
- Be four years of age on or before September 1 of a given school year.
- Live within the boundaries of the Houston Independent School District
AND meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Child is homeless
- Child unable to speak or understand English as determined by the Home Language Survey
- Child is economically disadvantaged
- Child of an active-duty member of the U.S. military or one who has been killed, injured, or missing in action while on active duty
- Child is or has been in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services following an adversary hearing held as provided by Section 262.201, Family Code
- Child meets any eligibility criteria for Head Start
- Child of a person eligible for the Star of Texas Award as a peace officer as defined in Section 3106.002, a firefighter as defined in Section 3106.003, or an emergency medical first responder as defined in Section 3106.004
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What are the Pre-K Application Phases
The application timeline for School Choice Pre-K programs is split into two (2) phases. Depending on the phase, different rules apply as to how applications are processed.
- Phase 1 | Sept. 17, 2021 - March 10, 2022
Qualified in-district TEA-eligible Pre-K 4 applications received during this phase will be entered into lotteries. - Phase 2 | March 11, 2022 - On-going
Qualified in-district TEA-eligible Pre-K 4, Pre-K 4 Tuition-Based and TEA-eligible Pre-K 3 applications received during this phase will be qualified on a space-available basis and first come first serve. All TEA-eligible Pre-K 4 applicants must be offered a seat prior to offering seats to any Pre-K 4 Tuition-Based and TEA-eligible Pre-K 3 applicants.
- Phase 1 | Sept. 17, 2021 - March 10, 2022
Current Students
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For current students returning to HISD...
For current students returning to HISD for the 2022-2023 school year, Student Verification forms will be completed via HISD Connect Parent Portal Account.
- Sign in to your HISD Connect Parent Portal Account.
- Click on the tab for your student. If you have multiple students, click on each student to complete their individual verification form.
- On the left side of your Parent Portal screen, click on the link for Student Verification 2022-2023.
- Enter your student’s date of birth.
- Begin the Verification Form
Transfer Students
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About
In select cases, HISD students may have the option to transfer to a school or program outside of their neighborhood. Some cases where transfer requests will be considered include programmatic transfers, such as the desire to transfer into a specialized program not available at the zoned school, or circumstantial transfers, such as transfers to accommodate special circumstances or hardships preventing the family from attending their zoned school.
To be considered for a transfer, please submit an application. Please ensure you review the transfer types beforehand, so you understand which transfers your child may be eligible for. In order to accept a transfer request, a school must have space available in the child’s grade.
Transfers are considered in three phases: -
Phase 1: Applications for the 2023-2024 school year open in September 2022
- All applications for students who live inside the HISD boundaries or for the children of active HISD employees who live outside the boundaries will be considered.
- Any eligible student who meets the qualifications for the program to which they are applying will be entered in a lottery if there are more applicants than available seats. The date of the application does not influence their chances as long as it is within the window.
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Phase 2: Applications for the 2023-2024 school year open in November 2022
- Deadline for current HISD students to apply for transfers.
- All applications for students who live inside the HISD boundaries or for the children of active HISD employees who live outside the boundaries will be considered.
- After all applications in Phase 1 have been processed, eligible students who meet the qualifications for the program to which they are applying, will be considered in the order in which their application was submitted (online or on paper).
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Phase 3: Applications for the 2023-2024 school year open in March 2023
- During this time, only in-district applicants new to HISD and out-of-district applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis, if space is available.
- If a school of choice accepts a student from outside its attendance zone, parents are required to keep the student at the chosen school for the entire school year. In most cases, parents must assume responsibility for the student’s transportation to and from the school of choice.
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Additional Information & Questions
Apply for a transfer here.
See a list of schools with space available here. http://houstonisd.org/SpaceAvailable
For information about available space, the application process, and eligibility for transfers, call the school in which you are interested or the Office of School Choice at 713-556-6734.
Special circumstance transfers will start at your zoned, neighborhood school. School personnel will put in an application for you. Special transfers include: Hardship, homeless, special education, language of instruction, public education grant, boundary option, violent crime victim.
Questions about…
Contact
- Bilingual
- English as a Second Language (ESL)
- Migrant Education
- Dual Language
Multilingual Education
713-556-6961
multilingual@houstonisd.org- Special Education
- Dyslexia
- Section 504
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Office of Special Education
713-556-7025
spedsupportingparents@houstonisd.org- Behavior Interventions and Support
Behavior Interventions and Support
713-556-6844- Gifted & Talented
Gifted and Talented Education
713-556-6954
GiftedandTalented@houstonisd.org- Homeless
- Foster Care
Student Assistance
713-556-7237
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How-To Guides & Videos
How to get started
with EnrollmentAfter submitting
an applicationFind your
Zoned SchoolCreate an
Email AddressCreate an HISD
Connect AccountRequired
DocumentsStudent
Verification FormsCapped
Grades/ProgramsStudents in
Specialized Programs
*Coming Soon
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Last updated: 04/26/2022