How to Find Your Child’s School District

A school district is an area that contains several schools that are governed together. If your child will be attending private school, good news…! You can skip this article because you can send your child wherever you’d like.

However, if you are sending your child to a traditional public school, we’re here to help you figure out how to find your school district.

SHARED CUSTODY

If your child is back and forth between different cities, it can be even more confusing trying to figure out what school to send them to. The good news is, if all parties are able to agree on which school district is best for the child, then they can go to whichever school you choose.

The not so good news is, if you can’t agree on a district together, you will have to allow a court to decide for you. The court is going to choose the school district they feel is best for the child to attend, regardless of which parent the child is living with the most.

OPEN ENROLLMENT

In some states, you may not have to worry about finding your district at all. Many states are offering open enrollment, which may allow you to choose a school outside of your district. The two types of open enrollment are:

• Intradistrict- Students can transfer to any school within their district.
• Interdistrict- Students can transfer to any school of their choice.

Depending on the state, open enrollment policies may be:

Mandatory

Mandatory open enrollment means that in these states, you are able to enroll your child in any school of your choosing.

Voluntary

Voluntary open enrollment means that in these states, districts can decide whether to participate in open enrollment or not. You usually have to put in a special request and have it approved by the district.

Both

In some states, mandatory open enrollment is required in situations where a child does not have access to a high quality education in their own district. These states may have voluntary open enrollment in other districts.

Does My State Have Open Enrollment?

To find out specific information on your state’s open enrollment program, head over to the Education Commission of the States.

ADDRESS CHECK

If it turns out your child needs to attend school in the district they live in, head over to Great Schools. Simply enter your address and all of the schools in your district will come up in a list next to a map. You can click on each school directly from the list to check out more details.

Planning to move to a new area? Another great feature on Great Schools is the “homes for sale” button underneath each school listing. Once you find a school you absolutely love and want to make sure your child attends, click that button for a list of all the available homes in that school district.

If You Have Any Other Questions About How to Find Your Child’s School District, Head Over to Your State’s Department of Education Website.