2019-20 Choice Information

We are now accepting 2019-20 Choice applications 

Resident families and permanent district employees may submit Choice applications during the "Choice Lottery" window. The "Choice Lottery" window opens between January 3 – February 20, 2019.  Non-resident applicants may apply beginning August 1, 2019.

• Applications for the “Choice Lottery” will be available online, at all schools and the Education Service Center.
• Choice Enrollment Applications will be accepted beginning January 3. The deadline for filing applications for the “Choice Lottery” selection for the 2019-20 school year is 4:30 PM, February 20.
• All applications must be date-stamped “received” by the CHOICE & Student Release Specialist, Educational Service Center, 33330 8^th AVE S, Federal Way, WA 98003 by the deadline. LATE applications will not be accepted.  No Exceptions.
• Notification of placement status will be e-mailed or mailed to all “Choice Lottery” applicants by March 7.
• Parent/guardians of students offered placement in their “choice” school must sign and return the placement acceptance letter to the Business Office by March 15. Confirmations (acceptance letters) not received by the Business Office will be interpreted as not accepting the new assignment.  Placement will then be offered to the next candidate.  No exceptions.
• Students not placed in their “choice” school via the lottery process must remain at their present/resident school. New students, who reside within the boundaries of Federal Way Public Schools must enroll in their resident school.  Non-resident students must enroll in their resident district.
• A listing of all applicants not placed, in the priority order generated by the lottery process, will be maintained at the Business Office. “Waiting list” students will be contacted by the CHOICE & Student Release Specialist between August 1, and the 10^th day of the school year.

Resident and non-resident students may apply to attend any Federal Way school through the “Choice Enrollment” program.  Applications will be approved if they are received within the application timeline defined above and if there is space available in the requested school.  All spaces available for “Choice Enrollment” will be first filled by lottery selection.  All non-resident applications must be accompanied by a Choice Transfer Request (Release of Attendance) from the student’s resident district.  Please refer to Choice Procedure 3131P at: https://bit.ly/2KFg07L

2019-20 Choice Lottery

The lottery for available spaces will be held on February 28 at 5:30 p.m. at the Educational Service Center, 33330 8^th AVE S, Federal Way, WA 98003.

• Open to resident scholars and permanent district employees.
• Only one Choice Enrollment application will be accepted for each scholar. The application bearing the most current date will be entered into the lottery if multiple Choice Enrollment applications are received for the same scholar.
• Families interested in Cambridge or the International Baccalaureate (IB) must apply separately for these educational programs to the schools which offer them. Acceptance into educational programs does not guarantee placement at the schools where these programs are offered.
• Online applications are electronically date-stamped when successfully submitted.  Online applicants will receive an email confirmation when the application was successfully submitted.  Paper applications will be available at the schools and ESC. Paper applications must be received at the ESC by February 20th, at 4:30 p.m.

For non-resident scholars (living outside the district boundaries), the post-lottery Choice Enrollment Application window opens August 1st and ends August 31st.

• All post-lottery choice applicants are placed on the requested school’s grade level waitlist in the order the application is received at the Educational Service Center (ESC) by established priority order (District Employee, Sibling, Resident).  Waitlist applicants will be notified beginning August 1st through the 10th day of the school year if space becomes available.  If space does not become available, families will be notified their applicant will not be accepted into their requested school for the 2018-19 school year due to lack of capacity.  
   
  Please note, paper applications will be placed on the waitlist once date-stamped received at the ESC. 

Scholars are expected to be enrolled and attending their current or resident area school while waiting for space to become available for choice enrollment at their requested school.  If or when space becomes available at the requested school, the scholar's enrollment and records will be transferred to the "choice" school upon the parent signing the acceptance letter and contacting the new school.  The office of the "choice" school will notify the parent of their scholar's start date at their school.

1. One Application: Only one Choice Enrollment Application will be accepted for each scholar.  When multiple Choice Enrollment Applications are submitted for the same scholar, the Choice Enrollment Application bearing the most current date and time will be the application entered into record.
2. Duration of Acceptance: Resident scholars accepted on Choice enrollment will be accepted for the K-12 Continuum. Non-residents are accepted for the grade span of the “choice” school (except Nautilus 6-8 and Woodmont 6-8), contingent upon receipt of Choice Transfer Request from resident district prior to the beginning of each school year.
3. Educational Programs (e.g. Cambridge and International Baccalaureate): Acceptance into educational programs does not guarantee placement at the schools where these programs are offered.
4. Choice Enrollment placement may be rescinded by the district due to: Excessive tardiness or absences, increased enrollment at Choice school causing overcrowding in school, grade, or program. Disciplinary record indicates a history of violent or disruptive behavior (non-resident scholars only). 
5. High School Only: Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) and Federal Way Public Schools (FWPS) athletic eligibility requirements are applicable to all scholar transfers.  Approval of Choice Transfer does not guarantee athletic eligibility. Consult with the building athletic director on all WIAA transfer rules.
6. Transportation: Parents/guardians with students enrolled in the Choice program are responsible for transportation to a school outside of the resident service area. 

Scholars must obtain a Choice Request Transfer (or release form) from their resident district if attending a school outside of their resident district. Residents within the Federal Way Public Schools boundaries may return a completed Choice Request Transfer form to crt@fwps.org for processing. Scholars who reside outside of FWPS district boundaries must obtain a Choice Request Transfer form from their resident district.

• Scholars must be "released" annually by their resident school district.
• Release requests will be accepted for processing beginning January 1 (of the current school year) for the following school year.