Phase I: Lottery-Based Selection

Phase I is the primary window for all applicants.

• Rank Your Preferences: You may apply for up to 10 schools or programs. You must rank them in order of preference of true interest (1st = most desired school).
• Eligibility Check: Applications are reviewed to ensure students meet any specific program requirements. For more information regarding eligibility, click here
• The Lottery: Once the Phase I window closes, applications can no longer be edited. All eligible applications are entered into a lottery to determine seat placements.
• Waitlists: Eligible students who are not offered a seat during the lottery are automatically placed on a waitlist for those schools.

Note: If you apply during Phase I, you do not need to re-apply during Phase II.

Phase II: Seat Availability

Phase II is for families who missed the initial window or are new to the district.

• First-Come, First-Served Basis: Unlike the Phase I lottery, Phase II offers are based strictly on remaining seat availability.
• Waitlist Continuity: If a school already has a waitlist from Phase I, that waitlist carries over. Phase II applicants will be added to the end of the existing Phase I waitlist.
• Application Limits & Duplicate Entries: * You may apply for up to 10 schools or programs.
  • Important: A student can only be on a specific school’s waitlist once. If you are already waitlisted for a school from Phase I, the system will not allow you to apply for that same school again in Phase II. You cannot "re-enter the line" to get a different spot.
• Closing Windows: 
  • Current/Returning Students: Phase II closes on August 21, 2026.
  • Students New to the District: Phase II remains open to accommodate families moving into the area.

Important: Application Status for Returning Students

To ensure schools can finalize their classroom rosters, there is a final cutoff for enrollment offers.

• Deadline: If a current or returning student has not received an offer by August 21, 2026, their application will be retired.
• What this means: August 21, 2026 is the final day a returning student can receive a seat offer. After this time, the application process for the current cycle concludes for these students.

• Parents should rank applications in order of preference. Note, if you are offered placement from the lottery, lower ranked selections will be automatically dropped. If you are still interested in those selections that were automatically dropped, you must submit a Phase II application. The application status, Assigned Higher Ranked Choice, means your application was automatically dropped because a higher ranked school offered you a seat.
• Parents should apply in Phase I for the best chance of getting a seat at one of their top ten schools.
• Parents do NOT increase their chances of getting into a particular school by applying to fewer schools. Using all 10 options does not hurt your chances.
• Parents do NOT lose their student’s current seat simply by applying to School Choice. Parents give up their child's current seat only when they accept a new one. Parents have this option after receiving the lottery results. 

How to Apply Flyer

Wharton and Helms have been designated Separate and Unique (SUS) magnet schools, per the board in 2024. Please review the application & enrollment process for the 2026-2027 school year:

• Pre-K4 students currently enrolled at Wharton or Helms will automatically move to the next grade level. No reapplication is needed.
• Wharton 5th grade students will need to reapply to the 6th-grade lottery due to limited seats. Current Wharton 5th graders will receive priority in the 6th-grade lottery.
• All prospective students, must apply through the K–12 School Choice lottery (open Dec. 9–Feb. 27). Families residing in the former attendance boundaries receive priority in the lottery, and 25% of seats are reserved for former zoned applicants with siblings.
• Zoned families seeking an English-only option or students who reside within the former attendance boundaries who do not receive a seat in the lottery may request a special transfer through the School Choice website beginning April 8th.

For questions or support, please contact School Choice at schoolchoice@houstonisd.org.

For the upcoming school year, a School Choice application is required for students who meet any of the criteria below:

• Students who wish to attend a school other than their zoned school. This includes students enrolling from private, charter, homeschool or out-of-district schools as well as those not enrolled in HISD. 
• Students in grades 6-12, who wish to participate in a HISD Magnet program, even if you are zoned to that school. 
• Currently enrolled Pre-K students entering Kindergarten who do not plan to attend their zoned neighborhood school.
• Current 5th-grade students at the following campuses who wish to remain for 6th grade:  Baker, Garden Oaks, Pilgrim and Wharton. 
• Current 8th-grade students at Long Academy who would like to remain at Long Academy for 9th grade.

Families are encouraged to review all available program options and submit applications during the designated application window.

Secondary Fine Arts programs require students to audition or showcase their area of art. 

To learn about scheduling an audition for a Fine Arts program Click here 

Families applying for Kinder HSPVA will not schedule an audition via the School Choice application. For more information regarding Kinder HSPVA audition requirements and dates, Click here  

Students are required to be identified as Gifted and Talented (G/T) in all assessment areas in order to be eligible for a magnet Vanguard transfer.  

*For Carnegie Vanguard high school only: In addition to G/T identification, students must have a magnet matrix of 80 or higher. 

For more information regarding Gifted and Talented, click here

Sibling priority is available to families applying for entering grade levels (Kindergarten, 6th, and 9th) who already have a child enrolled at the requested campus and will be returning for the following school year.

• How to Apply: When completing the application, you must navigate to the sibling section and provide the current student's information.
• Requirement: This section on the application must be completed at the time of submission to be considered for sibling priority, the sibling must be already attending the school and returning for the following school year.

*Only applicable to Phase I applications.

Families with multiple birth siblings can choose to link their applications, allowing the children to be treated as a single entry in the lottery. To successfully link applications, the following criteria must be met:

• Single Account: All applications must be submitted through the same parent/guardian account.
• Consistency: Each application must indicate the student is a twin/multiple, and the date of birth must match across all siblings.
• Identical Rankings: Schools, programs, and areas of focus must be ranked in the exact same order for all students. 
• Qualifications: Each student must meet the specific entry requirements for their chosen programs.
  • Note: If one sibling qualifies for a program and another does not, the qualified student may still receive an offer. The linkage will remain intact for any other ranked programs where both qualify.

*Only applicable to Phase I applications.

The lottery system prioritizes applications based on residency.

• In-District vs. Out-of-District: Phase I applications from residents living within district boundaries are processed before out-of-district applications.
• HISD Employees: Guardians who are employed by HISD but live outside the district may receive In-District Priority.
  • Requirement: You must indicate your HISD employment status on the application.

*Only applicable to Phase I applications.