High School Specialty Programs

The High School Specialty Program Application lets students who live in SCUSD apply to a specialty program.

Students can apply to programs at SCUSD high schools. Students must live in the SCUSD district. There must also be space in the program.

Students who live in SCUSD and will be in grades 9–12 for the 2027–2028 school year can apply.

Students who live outside SCUSD cannot apply through HSSP. They may apply through an inter-district permit from April 5–30, 2027.

Visit Permits & Transfers

Students who live outside SCUSD will be offered spots after students who live in SCUSD, as required by state law.

A parent, legal guardian, or person with the right to make educational choices for the student must fill out the form.

The person who fills out the form must say that the information is true. False information can make the application or offer invalid.

The Enrollment Center is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (closed on holidays), to support families with enrollment.

Location:
5601 47th Avenue (next to the Serna Center)
Sacramento, CA 95824

Phone: (916) 643-2400
Fax: (916) 433-5403

Help is available for students who need extra support:

• Foster Youth: Aliya Holmes, Foster Youth Coordinator II
  aliya-holmes@scusd.edu, (916) 643-7991
• Students Experiencing Homelessness: Ashley Powers Clark, Homeless Education Services Program Coordinator, ashley-clark@scusd.edu, (916) 507-3452
• Students With an IEP: Frances English, Assistant Superintendent, Special Education, frances-english@scusd.edu, (916) 643-9174
• Students With a 504 Plan: Elizabeth Sterba, Student Support Services Director
  elizabeth-sterba@scusd.edu, (916) 643-9252
• Students With Special Circumstances: Kelly Hood, Constituent Services Director II
  kelly-hood@scusd.edu, (916) 643-2368

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

The District’s Matriculation & Orientation Center (MOC) also offers in-person help in these languages:

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

1.  Your student must live in SCUSD.

Enter your home address when you apply. SCUSD will check your address. If we cannot confirm your address, Enrollment Center staff will contact you.

2. SCUSD uses your student's birth date to check the grade.

If there is a problem, SCUSD staff will contact you. 

3. See Step Four above for programs that need extra information.

Students may apply to up to two specialty programs.  

No. Students do not need to take extra tests.

Only West Campus requires students to submit grades.

• SCUSD students will have their transcripts sent from Infinite Campus.
• Other students must upload a copy of their transcripts with their application.

These schools do not have a set attendance area:

• Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School
• School of Engineering and Sciences
• Umoja International Academy (for Grades 9-12)
• West Campus

After you submit your application, you will see a confirmation screen. You will also get a message from SchoolMint.

The Message Center is where you can read messages from SchoolMint.

To open the Message Center:

• On a computer: Click Messages in the top green header.

• On a phone: Click the text bubble in the top green header.

If you have a new message, you will see a notice on the main screen.

No. SCUSD does not provide transportation to specialty programs.

Parents and guardians must get their students to school.

No.

No. Applications must be sent by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026.

Late applications will not be accepted.

Families will get a SchoolMint message on November 30, 2026.

The message will tell you if your student:

• Got a spot
• Is on the waiting list
• or do not qualify.

You may get an email, text, or both.
 

You have four business days to accept an offer.

Current SCUSD Students

You have four business days from the offer day to accept the offer in SchoolMint.

New SCUSD or Returning Students

You have four business days from the offer day to:

1. Accept the offer in SchoolMint.
2. Fill out the registration form in your offer email or SchoolMint message.

You must also provide:

• Photo ID
• Proof of address
• Proof of birth
• Immunization records

Use the special registration link in your SchoolMint email or Message Center.

Do not use the main registration form on the SCUSD website.

If you do not finish these steps by the deadline, your student will lose the spot.

A new student does not attend an SCUSD TK–12 school when they apply.

This includes:

• Siblings of current SCUSD students
• Students who attend an SCUSD independent charter school

These schools include:

• 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
• Yav Pem Suab Academy

Your student can only be on the waiting list for their first choice.

SchoolMint will send a message on November 30, 2026, if your student is on the waiting list.

If a spot opens, SchoolMint will send an offer. You will have four business days to accept it.

All waiting lists close at 5:00 p.m. on July 16, 2027.

Families can leave a waiting list at any time in SchoolMint by withdrawing their offer. 

During the permit window, your student must either:

• Stay on the HSSP waiting list; or
• Leave the HSSP process before applying for a permit.

Students cannot be on two lottery lists at the same time.

No. You do not need to reapply. 

Yes. A student who lives in SCUSD can apply even if they attend a private school. 

If you move outside the SCUSD district, your HSSP offer is no longer valid.

You must enroll your student in your new school district.

No. Students who live outside SCUSD and attend an SCUSD school on an inter-district permit cannot apply through the main specialty program application.

They may apply to schools with open spots through an inter-district permit from April 5–30, 2027.

Visit Permits & Transfers

No.

No. However, students who live within our district boundaries whose parent/guardian’s primary place of employment is at the selected school are given a lottery priority. 

If a student leaves the program or does not follow the program rules, their spot is not guaranteed.

The student may need to return to their school of residence.

First Priority

• Siblings of students who are already in the specialty program and will return the next school year.

Second Priority

• Students whose parent or guardian works at the school they choose.

The High School Specialty Program 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 students at their specialty program of choice. 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 first choice and receives a notification of a placement offer.
2. If your student applied to only one specialty program and was not selected, he/she will be placed on a waiting list.
3. If your student applied for two specialty programs and was not selected for their first choice, the computer will look for their second choice. Note: Second choice selections are placed behind all first choice selections.

• Your student is selected for their second choice and receives a notification of a placement offer.
• Your student is not selected for their first or second choice. They will be placed on a waiting list for their first choice only. Applicants are never placed on a second choice waiting list. 

Your student will only go on the waiting list for their first choice.

SchoolMint will send a message on November 30, 2027 if your student is on the waiting list.

If a spot opens, SchoolMint will send a message with an offer.

The 2027–2028 waiting lists will stay open until 5:00 p.m. on July 16, 2027. The lists will close after that time.

Families can remove their application from a waiting list at any time in SchoolMint.

Students who do not meet the program rules will not be placed in the lottery.

If the student did not apply to another program, they must attend their neighborhood school or current school.