Permits & Transfers

If you live within SCUSD boundaries and would like your student to attend a different SCUSD school (not your neighborhood school), you can apply for an Intra-District Permit.

• Permits are approved based on space availability at the requested school or program.

• Permit requests for the following school year are accepted in the spring during the District Permit process, which includes both intra-district and inter-district applications. For the 2026-2027 school year, the application will be live April 27 - May 15. 

• Intra-district permits can be submitted for the current year at any time for the district's Dual Immersion programs. 

Transferring Into SCUSD from Another District

If your family lives outside of SCUSD boundaries and you would like your child to attend a school within SCUSD, follow these steps:

1. Request an Inter-District Transfer Permit (ITP) from your home district.

2. Your home district must approve the ITP.

3. Submit your request through SchoolMint, including the approved ITP and any supporting documents.

• Permits into SCUSD are approved based on space availability.

• You can apply at any time for the current school year. 

• Permit requests for the following school year are accepted in the spring during the District Permit process, which includes both intra-district and inter-district applications. For the 2026-2027 school year, the application will be live April 27 - May 15. 

Transferring Out of SCUSD to Another District

If you live within SCUSD and want your child to attend a school in another district, follow these steps:

1. Complete an Inter-District Transfer Permit (ITP) application.

2. Submit the application and supporting documents using the webform below. 

• You may submit this request at any time throughout the year.

Intra-District Permits are for families who currently live within the SCUSD boundaries to request a transfer to a school that is not their neighborhood school (school of residence). Visit our SchoolFinder tool to find your neighborhood school. 

Inter-District Permits are used to transfer in and out of the Sacramento City School District. 

• Incoming inter-district permit applicants live outside the SCUSD boundaries and must receive an approved Inter-district Transfer Permit (ITP) from their district of residence prior to applying online April 27 - May 15.
• Outgoing inter-district permits can be accepted at any time. Complete the Inter-district Transfer Permit (ITP) and submit it using the webform available above. 

Students entering kindergarten  through 12th grade for the 2026-2027 school year are eligible to apply.

SCUSD requires that the parent, legal guardian, and/or educational rights holder of the student complete the application. The guardian will be required to certify this at the end of the application. Providing inaccurate information will invalidate the application and any potential offer to the student.

If your student is on an Open Enrollment or High School Specialty Program waiting list, your intra-district permit application will be marked ineligible. 

If you would like to remove your student from an Open Enrollment/High School Specialty Program waiting list, you can log into your SchoolMint account and withdraw the application or email Becky Petrie at becky-petrie@scusd.edu for assistance.  

No. Not all district schools or specialty programs participate in the District Permit process. Some schools reach their grade level enrollment capacity prior to the District Permit time period. 

Participating schools and programs in the 2026-2027 District Permit process

Due to the unprecedented number of applications submitted to the TK Lottery, district permit requests will not be available for Transitional Kindergarten at this time. The next opportunity for in-district families to apply for transitional kindergarten will be through regular registration starting on May 18, 2026.

A new student is any student who is not currently attending an SCUSD TK–12 school at the time of application. This includes children attending a SCUSD preschool, siblings of current SCUSD students, and students attending an independent SCUSD charter school (California Montessori Project – Capitol Campus, Capitol Collegiate Academy, Growth Public Schools, Language Academy of Sacramento, St. HOPE Public School 7, Sacramento Academic and Vocational Academy, Sacramento Charter High School, Sol Aureus College Preparatory, or Yav Pem Suab Academy).

Visit SCUSD’s School Finder, to find your family's neighborhood school.

Students may apply to one school or program. 

The application uses Google Translate and can be translated into more than 100 languages.

The district’s Matriculation & Orientation Center (MOC) also provides in-person application support for families in the following languages:

• Spanish
• Hmong
• Cantonese
• Mandarin
• Vietnamese
• Russian
• Pashto
• Dari/Farsi

• A.M. Winn Public Waldorf TK-8 School
• Alice Birney Public Waldorf TK-8 School
• Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School
• Camellia Basic Elementary – Grades 1-6
• Leonardo da Vinci TK-8 School
• Phoebe Hearst Elementary School
• School of Engineering and Science
• Umoja International Academy – Grades 9-12
• West Campus High School

Once an application is successfully submitted, you will see a confirmation screen and receive a message in your SchoolMint Message Center confirming the submission. Parents/guardians will also receive a confirmation via email and/or text message, depending on their selected SchoolMint preferences.

Log onto your SchoolMint Parent/Guardian account and click the Messages button in the top green navigation bar. The Message Center has all messages sent to you from the platform organized by date.

On a mobile device, the Message Center is a gray text bubble at the top of the screen. If you only receive text message notifications, you can log into SchoolMint and read full messages in the Message Center.

No, transportation is not provided for students on a district permit. Parents are responsible for transporting their students.

All applications must be turned in by 5:00 p.m on May 15, 2026. No late applications will be accepted.

Yes, it is recommended that parents/guardians register their incoming kindergarteners at their neighborhood school (school of residence) before applying for a District Permit. This ensures a spot in case the applicant is not selected through the lottery. 

Learn how to register for Kindergarten.

Notifications will be sent to families via SchoolMint on May 26, 2026, based on the communication preferences selected during registration (email, text message, or both).

Applicants must accept the offer through SchoolMint by the deadline specified in their offer notification.

Additional Requirements for Acceptance for New Students to the District

New students to the district must also complete a full registration form. A link to this form will be included in the notifications sent to families. Additionally, the following documents will need to be provided: photo identification, address verification, proof of birth, and immunization records. Applicants will be automatically removed from the district permit program acceptance list if they do not complete registration by the offer deadline.

If you move outside the SCUSD boundaries, your District Permit placement will be voided. You will need to register your student with the new school district.

Yes. 

Yes, the student(s) applying will receive sibling priority for inter-district permits.

Yes, the student applying will receive parent employment priority for inter-district permits.

The District Permit application is not a first-come, first-serve basis. You may apply anytime during the application window to be considered.

SCUSD uses a computerized, third-party lottery system to place eligible students at their school or specialty program. A lottery must be implemented if applications exceed the grade capacity at the requested program.

One of the following lottery scenarios will occur:

1. Your student is selected for their school or specialty program and receives a notification communication to accept the placement through SchoolMint. 
2. If your student was not selected, they will be notified that they have been placed on a waiting list and then be notified if a spot opens up.

Lottery notification from SchoolMint will be sent on May 26, 2026 notifying parent/guardians regarding placement on the waiting list. 

When space becomes available, a notification will be sent through SchoolMint notifying the parent/guardian of the offer. 2026-2027 waiting lists will be valid until 5:00pm, on July 31, 2026 and then closed. Families can withdraw their application from a waiting list at any time through SchoolMint. 

Lottery Selection Priorities

• 1st Priority
  • Intra-District Permit applicants with a sibling already in attendance at the selected school and will continue to be enrolled in the upcoming school year.
• 2nd Priority
  • Intra-District Permit applicants whose parent/guardian’s primary place of employment is the selected school.
• 3rd Priority* – Current SCUSD TK Students Only
  • Intra-District Permit applicants who apply for kindergarten at the school they attended for TK. 
• 4th Priority
  • All other Intra-District Permits
• 5th priority
  • Inter-District Permit applicants with a sibling already in attendance at the selected school and will continue to be enrolled in the upcoming school year.
• 6th priority
  • Inter-District Permit applicants whose parent/guardian’s primary place of employment is the selected school.
• 7th Priority* – Current SCUSD TK Students Only
  • Approved Inter-District Permit applicants with students who apply for kindergarten at the school they attended for TK. 
• 8th Priority
  • All other Inter-District Permits