High School Specialty Programs

The High School Specialty Program Application is an opportunity for each student who resides within the boundaries of the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) to apply for enrollment in a SCUSD high school specialty program, based on space availability. SCUSD offers specialty programs at both our neighborhood and small specialized high schools.

Students residing within the Sacramento City Unified School District boundaries who will be entering grades 9 through 12 for the 2026-2027 school year are eligible to apply.

Students who live outside our district boundaries (including those that are currently on a district permit) can apply to specialty programs with space available through an inter-district permit transfer in April 2026.

Visit Permits & Transfers

Out-of-district applicants who meet the program requirements will be offered placement after qualified in-district applicants per California Education Code.

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.

Applicants must:

• Live within the district boundaries
• Submit program-specific information if required (See Step Four above for programs with additional steps.)

Students may apply to up to two specialty programs.  

None. No programs require additional assessments beyond what’s included in the application. (See Step Four above for programs with additional steps.)

West Campus requires grades to be submitted. 

Currently enrolled SCUSD students will have their transcripts automatically sent from Infinite Campus. Other students must upload a copy of their transcripts as part of their application.

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 accepted into specialty programs. Parents are responsible for transporting their students.

No.

All applications must be submitted by 5:00pm on Friday, November 21, 2025. No late applications will be accepted.

Notifications will be sent to families through SchoolMint on January 12, 2026, based on their selected preferences (email, text message, or both).

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

No. You do not need to reapply. 

If a student does not meet the expectations or chooses to withdraw from their enrolled specialty program, space is not guaranteed, and the student may be required to return to their school of residence.

If you move outside of the SCUSD boundary, it voids all open enrollment and you must register your student with the new school district.

Yes.

No, inter-district permitted students are not eligible. 

Students who live outside our district boundaries (including those that are currently on a district permit) can apply to specialty programs with space available through an inter-district permit transfer in April 2026.

Visit Permits & Transfers

No, students who live outside the district boundaries are not eligible. 

Students who live outside our district boundaries (including those that are currently on a district permit) can apply to specialty programs with space available through an inter-district permit transfer in April 2026.

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. 

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 be placed on the waiting list for their first choice.

Lottery notification from SchoolMint will be sent on January 12, 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. 

Students who apply to a specialty program and have not met requirements will not be included in the lottery. If the student hasn’t applied to another program, the student must attend their neighborhood or current school.

No.

Lottery Selection Priorities

First priority

• Siblings of students already in attendance at the specialty program and will continue to be enrolled in the upcoming school year.

Second priority

• Students whose parent/guardian’s primary place of employment is the selected school.

Third priority (administrative priority)

• When unique circumstances occur at a school, such as a school closure, program changes, and/or over-crowding occurs; district administrators may institute a specific priority to meet staffing and housing needs.

Schools without Attendance Boundaries

First priority

• Siblings of students already in attendance at the specialty program and will continue to be enrolled in the upcoming school year.

Second priority

• Students whose parent/guardian’s primary place of employment is the selected school.