Information by Grade Level

For more information on how we meet the needs of different students (foster youth, receiving special education services, inter-district transfers etc.), please visit the Student Needs page

PreKindergarten (PK)

The PreKindergarten (PK) Program serves children ages 2 years and 9 months to 5 years old. We offer both full-time and school-day options, and both subsidized and tuition-based enrollment slots. Our PK program can be found throughout San Francisco either in Early Education Schools, which solely specialize in offering PK and TK, or in Elementary Schools that offer PK up to 8th grade. 

Learn about how to enroll in a PreKindergarten program.

Transitional Kindergarten (TK)

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is for students who will be turning age 5 between September 2, 2024 and June 2, 2025 for the 2024-25 school year (see Age Requirements). TK is offered at select SFUSD Early Education Schools and elementary schools. Search and explore TK programs here.

TK applications follow our general student assignment process. To apply for 2023-2024, visit Apply For School Year 2023-2024. To apply for 2024-2025, visit sfusd.edu/apply starting on October 20, 2023. 

Beginning with the enrollment cycle for the 2024-25 school year, the rules for applying to TK mirror the rules for applying to Kindergarten. That means the attendance area tiebreaker will now be used for TK applications, so that TK assignments use the same tiebreakers as K-5.

TK Programs at Attendance Area Schools

Attendance area schools cover a geographic area (see a map of schools). There are no attendance areas for language immersion schools or K-8 schools. Attendance areas help students get assigned to their nearby elementary school if requested. Students are not required to attend their elementary attendance area school, and there is no guarantee that students will be placed at their elementary attendance area school. 

Elementary Attendance Area School Tiebreakers (learn about Tiebreakers)

  1. Sibling: A sibling of a student who is enrolled in and will be attending the school.
  2. PK/TK Attendance Area: PreK students who live in the attendance area of the school requested; and are enrolled in an SFUSD PreK in the same attendance area of the requested school.
  3. Test Score Area (CTIP1): Students who live in areas of the city with the lowest average test scores.
  4. Attendance Area: Elementary school students who live in the attendance area of the elementary school requested
  5. No tiebreakers: Students who do not have a tie-breaker.

TK Programs at City-wide Schools and Programs

City-wide schools and programs include K-8 schools, language programs, newcomer schools and programs, and the SF Public Montessori School. 

Elementary City-wide School Tiebreakers (learn about Tiebreakers)

  1. Sibling: A sibling of a student who is enrolled in and will be attending the school.
  2. PK/TK Citywide: Incoming TK students who attend an SFUSD PreK at the elementary Citywide school to which they are applying.
  3. Test Score Area (CTIP1): Students who live in areas of the city with the lowest average test scores.
  4. No tiebreakers: Students who do not have a tie-breaker.

Elementary School

There are two types of elementary schools: attendance area and city-wide. You can apply to any of the 72 elementary schools in the city, be it an attendance area school or city-wide school, and you can list as many schools as you like. Explore elementary schools and programs here.

Elementary School applications follow our general student assignment process. To apply for 2024-2025, visit Apply For School Year 2024-2025.

Attendance Area Schools

Attendance area schools cover a geographic area (see a map of schools). There are no attendance areas for K-5 language immersion schools, K-8 schools, middle or high schools. Attendance areas help students get assigned to their nearby elementary school if requested. Students are not required to attend their elementary attendance area school, and there is no guarantee that students will be placed at their elementary attendance area school. 

Elementary Attendance Area School Tiebreakers (learn about Tiebreakers)

  1. Sibling: A sibling of a student who is enrolled in and will be attending the school.
  2. PK/TK Attendance Area: PreK or TK students who live in the attendance area of the school requested; and are enrolled in an SFUSD PreK or TK in the same attendance area of the requested school.
  3. Test Score Area (CTIP1): Students who live in areas of the city with the lowest average test scores.
  4. Attendance Area Elementary school students who live in the attendance area of the elementary school requested
  5. No tiebreakers Students who do not have a tie-breaker.

City-wide Schools and Programs

City-wide schools and programs include high schools, middle schools, K-8 schools, language programs, newcomer schools and programs, and the SF Public Montessori School. 

Elementary City-wide School Tiebreakers (learn about Tiebreakers)

  1. Sibling: A sibling of a student who is enrolled in and will be attending the school.
  2. PK/TK Citywide: Incoming kindergartners who attend an SFUSD PreK or TK at the elementary Citywide school to which they are applying.
  3. Test Score Area (CTIP1): Students who live in areas of the city with the lowest average test scores.
  4. No tiebreakers Students who do not have a tie-breaker.

Middle School

Students enrolled in 5th grade at an SFUSD K-5 school will have to apply to middle school for 6th grade. There are 13 middle schools in SFUSD. Every K-5 school in the district is matched with a single middle school, known as their middle school feeder. While the elementary-to-middle school feeders create virtual K-8s based on elementary school enrollment, the student assignment process for middle school will continue to be a choice process. Applying for the middle school your elementary school feeds is optional, but your chances of placement are higher if you do request it.

There is no guarantee that a student will be assigned to his/her feeder middle school.

Explore middle schools here.

Middle School applications follow our general student assignment process. To apply for 2024-2025, visit Apply For School Year 2024-2025.

Middle School Tiebreakers (learn about Tiebreakers)

Students will be assigned to their highest ranked request as long as there is space at the school. If there are more students applying than there are openings at a school, choice assignments will be made by looking to all the possible combinations of tiebreakers in the following hierarchical order:

  1. Sibling: A sibling of a student who is enrolled in and will be attending the school.
  2. Middle School Feeder: Incoming 6th-grade students enrolled in an elementary school that is identified as a feeder for the requested middle school.
  3. Bayview Elementary School to All Middle Schools: Incoming sixth-grade students who attended Carver, Drew, Harte or Malcolm X elementary schools from grades K through 5 and apply to any SFUSD middle school.
  4. Test Score Area (CTIP1): Students who live in areas of the city with the lowest average test scores.
  5. No tiebreakers Students who do not have a tie-breaker.

Middle School Language Pathway Tiebreakers (learn about Tiebreakers

If you are applying for a city-wide language pathway that has eligibility requirements, first the student must meet the eligibility requirements. Then tiebreakers are applied.

  1. Language Pathway Sibling: Students who are enrolled in and want to continue in a multilingual language pathway; and they have a sibling who is enrolled in and will be attending the same program.
  2. Language Pathway: Students who are enrolled in and want to continue in a multilingual language pathway.
  3. Sibling A sibling of a student who is currently enrolled in and will be attending the same school.
  4. Middle School Feeder: Incoming 6th-grade students enrolled in an elementary school that is identified as a feeder for the requested middle school.
  5. Test Score Area (CTIP1): Students who live in areas of the city with the lowest average test scores.
  6. No tiebreakers Students who do not have a tie-breaker.

Willie Brown Middle School Tiebreakers (learn about Tiebreakers)

  1. Sibling: A sibling of a student who is enrolled in and will be attending the school.
  2. Bayview: Students enrolled in Carver, Drew, Harte, or Malcolm X elementary schools who apply to Willie Brown Middle School.
  3. 94124: Students living in 94124 who apply to Willie Brown Middle School.
  4. Test Score Area (CTIP1): Students who live in areas of the city with the lowest average test scores.
  5. No tiebreakers Students who do not have a tie-breaker.

High School

There are 14 high schools in SFUSD. All high schools are city-wide schools, and there is no high school feeder system. 

There is no guarantee that a student will be assigned to a particular high school.

Explore high schools here.

High School applications follow our general student assignment process. To apply for 2024-2025, visit Apply For School Year 2024-2025.

Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts has a different application process. See here for more information. 

Lowell High School also has a different application process. See here for more information

High School Tiebreakers (learn about Tiebreakers)

  1. Sibling A sibling of a student who is enrolled in and will be attending the school.
  2. Willie Brown Middle School Students applying to 9th grade who attended Willie Brown Middle School in 6th, 7th and 8th grades. This applies to all high schools requested except Lowell and Ruth Asawa, which have different enrollment policies.
  3. Test Score Area (CTIP1) Students who live in areas of the city with the lowest average test scores.
  4. No tiebreakers Students who do not have a tiebreaker.

Access Transition Program (Ages 18-22)

Access, the Adult Transition Program, is for students on track for a Certificate of Completion at the end of 12th grade. SFUSD students on IEPs are eligible for special education services through Access until they are 22 years of age or complete a High School Diploma.

Access Transition Program applications follow our general student assignment process. To apply for 2024-2025, visit our Apply For School Year 2024-2025 page.

Alternative and County High Schools

Alternative High Schools

Alternative high schools offer programming optimized to meet the specific educational needs of non-traditional students. All schools offer intensive guidance, a variable credit system, and individualized learning plans. They also offer students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma or to transfer to a traditional high school. Students are referred to alternative high schools through the SFUSD Office of Pupil Services.

These schools are not included in the Educational Placement Center’s general high school application.

County High Schools

In addition to schools in the SFUSD, San Francisco also operates schools under the County Office of Education. County schools serve as an additional safety net for youth whose temporary circumstances require specialized supports and structures. County schools focus on addressing the unique needs of their students and building the skills they will need for their next transition. San Francisco County students receive regular SFUSD credits.

These schools are also not included in the Educational Placement Center’s general high school application.

Charter Schools

Charter schools are publicly-funded, privately-run schools. Unlike a traditional school district, which is centrally managed, charter schools operate independently from school districts and county offices of education. 

Students can apply to both SFUSD district schools and charter schools at the same time. Enrollment processes for charter schools differ from SFUSD enrollment. Please contact the specific charter school for more information. 

This page was last updated on October 20, 2023