Austin ISD launches new student enrollment portal as priority placement gets underway
Parents who want to enroll their students in an Austin school for the 2024-25 school year will notice a different registration system.
The district recently launched its revamped enrollment portal — a one-stop shop to sign up students for school.
Previously, the district had four different portals for certain programs like magnet schools or pre-K, said Katie Casstevens, interim executive director of student enrollment and attendance. And parents found that confusing, she said.
"Some of those application systems had different timelines or deadlines or processes and notification systems," Casstevens said.
More: Austin ISD Enrollment Portal
Students will always have the option of going to the neighborhood school they're zoned to or a different campus they're already attending, Casstevens said. However, students can also choose to attend another campus or program.
During enrollment, parents and students can prioritize their top seven choices.
Priority enrollment opens
Enrollment for priority placements opened last week and runs through Feb. 6, Casstevens said. This is for parents who know where they want their child to attend school next year or to register for certain programs.
Six programs only accept students during the priority enrollment period: the Kealing Middle School magnet program; Liberal Arts and Science Academy "LASA" High School; Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders; McCallum High School's and Lamar Middle School's fine arts academies; and Small Middle School's Green Tech Academy program.
"We've been seeing some confusion about whether families need to rush to get their applications in right away now in November," Casstevens said. "No matter when the application is put in in this priority registration, they'll get equal consideration. Our goal is to try to get all of our students into their highest ranked option."
If students register for a program in which they're already enrolled, they should get confirmation of their acceptance almost right away, she said.
Students enrolling in a new program will find out March 5.
General registration opens in April. Students will get confirmation of their enrollment immediately if they're applying for the same school or program they already attend. The district will process students' applications for different programs on a rolling basis.
Students do need to reenroll every year, which also gives parents a chance to fill out annual health forms and other student information.
Parents will be able to log into the new system with their old user information.
The district has also edited the enrollment system to be usable on a mobile device and offers devices in schools' front offices for families who may need assistance accessing the portal, Casstevens said.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin ISD launches revamped enrollment portal for 2024-25 school year
