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• • Parent Identification (one of the following is required):
    • Driver’s License
    • Passport
    • Military ID
    • Other forms of valid identification
  • Student Identification (one of the following is required):
    • Birth Certificate
    • Social Security Card
    • Passport
    • Baptismal Records
    • Other forms of valid identification
  • Proof of Address (one of the following is required):
    • Current Rental Lease or Mortgage Statement
    • Utility Bill (not including internet)
      • Light, gas, water
  • Proof of Grade (one of the following is required): 
    • Prior Academic Records
    • Final Report Card(s)
    • Final Transcripts, etc.
  • Immunization Records (one of the following is required):
    • Doctor's Records
    • Official Record of Vaccinations. For the list of all required vaccinations based on age and grade, please click here: Immunization Requirements

Students will not be denied enrollment if parents/ guardians do not have the above-referenced documents at the campus when seeking to enroll, but the student’s enrollment will be considered provisional until the proper documentation is submitted. Parent identification, student identification, proof of address, and proof of grade must be turned in within the first 30 days of enrollment or 90 days if your child was born outside of the United States.

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.

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!

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

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.

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

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).

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.

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

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.

1. Sign in to your HISD Connect Parent Portal Account.
2. Click on the tab for your student. If you have multiple students, click on each student to complete their individual verification form.
3. On the left side of your Parent Portal screen, click on the link for Student Verification 2022-2023.
4. Enter your student’s date of birth.
5. Begin the Verification Form

• 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.

• 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).

• 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. 

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.