Preferences

What do you mean by preferences?

Preferences define groups of people who have first eligibility for acceptance into a school. There are three types of preferences:

Sibling preference (all schools except Capitol Hill)
Attendance area preference (based on students who live in a school’s attendance area)
Zone preference (Crossroads, EXPO, J.J. Hill, Linwood, Nokomis, Phalen Lake, Rondo)

A preference applies only to the school listed as the first choice on an on-time application, except for the attendance area preference.

What does sibling preference mean in relation to the application process?

Sibling preference allows families a greater opportunity for their students to attend school together. To receive sibling preference, a family must:

Have had a student enrolled in the requested school during 2008-09 who will continue on at that school in 2009-10
List that school as the first choice on the sibling’s application
Submit the application on-time
Live within the Saint Paul Public School district boundaries

Please Note:

Siblings are defined as children who have the same parent or guardian and are living together at the same address
Sibling preference applies only to first choice schools on applications received on time by March 6, 2009 (elementary), or Feb. 27, 2009 (secondary)
Sibling preference does not apply to Capitol Hill
Enrollment guidelines for capacity and area preferences are taken into consideration before sibling preference

Who is considered a sibling?

School board policy states that siblings are children with the same parent or guardian living together at the same address. A student would have preference for acceptance into a school if his or her sibling is currently enrolled in the school and both students would be enrolled next year. Sibling preference only applies to the first-choice school listed on applications received by the application deadline.

Does sibling preference mean all of my students will be accepted to a magnet/citywide option school at the same time?

No. The family must first have a student already enrolled in the program. Other guidelines such as available space and attendance area preferences are taken into consideration before sibling preference.

Does sibling preference apply to neighborhood elementary schools, elementary transfers or reassignments to neighborhood schools outside of my area, and transfers to a school near my child’s day care?

Yes, however, the same guidelines for capacity and attendance area preferences are taken into consideration before sibling preference as they are with magnet/citywide option schools and secondary specialty schools. As with the previous question, sibling preference does not guarantee acceptance into a school.

Does sibling preference apply if I live outside of the school district?

No. According to school board policy, sibling preference does not apply to students who live outside of the Saint Paul Public School District.

If one of my students is in the school’s highest grade this year, is my younger child guaranteed a spot at the school next year?

No. The older student who is currently enrolled in the school must be attending the same school next year in order for sibling preference to apply for the younger student.

How can we improve our chances of getting into a particular magnet/citywide option or secondary specialty school?

Two things help:

Apply by the deadline:

February 27, 2009, is the deadline to apply to middle schools, junior high schools and senior high schools.

March 6, 2009, is the deadline for applying to elementary and magnet/citywide option schools. On-time applications are handled before late applications.
Apply when your child will be entering the youngest grade level offered by the school. This is the time when the most openings are available.

Living in the attendance area of a magnet or specialty school also gives you preference over other students, although space availability and other school district and state policies may limit enrollment in a particular magnet or specialty school. Because of expected large enrollments for grades 9-12 in 2009-2010, parents of students entering high school are encouraged to indicate their child’s attendance area school as their first or second choice on the application.