LAUSD school selection is a long and complicated process. This post will help you create a timeline for researching schools, booking tours, and tracking school acceptances. It will also cover Independent Charter timelines which are not part of LA Unified but are nevertheless free public LA schools.
If you’re new to the LAUSD school selection process, visit MakeTimeForMom’s How to LAUSD series for a complete guide to free public programs offered in LA County.
As a first step, here is the timeline released by LAUSD:
LAUSD School Selection: District-Issued Timeline
LAUSD shares a general time-frame for applying to their programs on the e-Choices website. While the specific dates vary by year, this short video highlights the basic process:
For more detailed information regarding this timeline, used the pdf below and the notes shared by the District on the Choices Timeline.
Independent Charters: Do keep in mind that Independent Charters are autonomous schools who do not follow the above timeline. Make sure to visit each Charter’s individual websites for specific deadlines.
Now that you’re familiar with the district-issued timeline, it’s time to talk about soft deadlines and the nuances that make the school selection process longer and more complex than other school districts.
LAUSD School Selection: The Expanded Timeline
For parents and caregivers applying for the 2025-2026 school year, your application process will typically begin a full year before your intended start date. Due to the complexity of the process and the deadline set by the district, this time-frame will increase your chances of applying and being accepted to a program of your choice.
Starting the process later? Not to worry. There are many options and solutions to get you into good schools all the way up to the beginning of the next school year.
Here is the general overview of the process:
Not sure what all the steps in the process actually mean? Use the information below to better prepare for each stage of the application process:
LAUSD School Selection: Fall 2024
This first stage in your school selection journey is the research and tour phase. You will need to do three important thing between August and November of 2024:
- Learn about all the specialized e-Choices programs offered in Los Angeles. Use the MakeTimeforMom’s How to LAUSD guide to get you started.
- Tour potential schools and programs.
- Apply for programs on the e-Choice platform and on Independent Charter respective Websites.
Here are some important tips to get you through this first phase:
I. Sign up for Tours Early
The deadline to apply for all specialized LAUSD programs (such as Magnet and Dual Language) is in mid November. As a result, many of these schools start offering tours in fall. Do sign up early, as spaces are limited and tend to fill up fast.
ll. Give Priority to Magnet Program Tours
If you anticipate you will only have limited time to tour during this time, make sure to book Magnet school tours first. These are the only schools you don’t want to sign up for in e-Choices if you’re not sure you want to attend.
Read more about applying to Magnet programs in How to LAUSD, Part 6: Magnet Programs Demystified.
III. Hold off on Touring Local School
Few LAUSD public schools offer tours at this time as most don’t have the staffing or resources to host them year round. Check back in spring for possible tour dates.
lV. Don’t Forget About Independent Charters
Independent Charters have extended application deadlines and tour dates that run all the way into the spring of the following year. Nevertheless, apply to them in fall and book spring tours now before they fill up.
V. Get Your SAS Paperwork in Order
SAS programs require special paperwork to be submitted in order to be considered. Be sure to give staff enough time to fill out the paperwork and send it in before the November deadline.
Find all the information you need about these programs in How to LAUSD, Part 4: SAS Programs Made Easy.
VI. Be on the Lookout for Correction Letters
Check the e-Choices website for notifications regarding needed corrections in December (or by mail if applying by paper). Incorrect information will result in an automatic rejection from specific programs.
While fall is a busy time in the school selection process, winter winds down substantially. Read about the few steps needed to get through that period in the section below:
LAUSD School Selection: Winter 2025
The second stage in your school selection journey requires tying up lose ends.You will need to do four important thing between January and February of 2025:
- Apply to more programs on e-Choices and on Independent Charter Websites.
- Review your Magnet choices carefully.
- Tour any program you weren’t able to visit in 2024.
- Permit out of LAUSD altogether, if interested and eligible.
Here is a little bit more about each of these steps:
I. Look for More Opportunities to Apply
- Some Independent Charters will still be accepting applications early in the year so be sure to apply, if you haven’t already.
- e-Choices will open up its Later Application Period. If you missed the November deadline or decided to apply to more schools, be sure to sign up right when the Late Application period opens as applicants are placed on the waitlist in order of application.
Learn more about Choice Late Application in the video below:
ll. Revisit Your Magnet Choices
This is your last chance to make changes to your On-Time e-Choices selections. While there is no risk in applying to multiple SAS or Affiliated Charter programs for example, you will want to be more careful with Magnets.
Explore why you should apply to a single Magnet (rather than multiple ones) in How to LAUSD, Part 6: Magnet Programs Demystified
III. Make Time for Those Last Tours
Take the time to tour schools you didn’t get around to last year. Being accepted into a school you haven’t toured can make decision making especially hard.
IV. Apply for an Inter-District Permit (optional)
Lastly, if you are planning to permit out of LAUSD, you can apply for an Inter-District permit starting in February.
Apply for Inter-District permit as soon as possible as it might take the district a few weeks of even months to accept or reject a permit and/or an appeal. Once you are released from LAUSD you will also need to reach out to the district you are permitting into for more information on the next steps of this process.
If you made it this far, you are ready for the third stage of your school selection journey:
LAUSD School Selection: Spring 2025
The third stage in the LAUSD school selection may feel different for various applicants. While some will find out they have been accepted to multiple desirable programs, others will be facing very long wait lists. No matter what category you fall under, here are a few things to do between March and May:
I. Don’t Miss Your Acceptance Notification
Check e-choices for notifications and make sure your voicemail isn’t full. If you receive an acceptance letter and don’t accept within the allocated time-frame, you will lose your spot.
ll. Tour Your Home School
If your chances of getting into a school of your choice look slim or if you’re rethinking the feasibility of a long drive to a desirable school, now is a good time to revisit your Home school. This might be the only school you will be able to attend so it’s worth learning as much as you can about it now.
III. Tour Other Local Schools
Sign up for local school tours. These are schools you can potentially permit into if they have space and are willing to accept new applicants. As each school has different permit policies and deadlines, joining a tour is the best way to learn about how and when to apply to them.
Schools with no tours: Some local schools don’t offer regular tour dates but might accommodate a prearranged group of parents if you call the school directly.
IV. Check Your Options During the Choices Late Application Period
The Choices Late Application period begins during this period and runs all the way through the first month of the new school year. Applicants can view a complete list of schools with availability and apply to them directly.
Check for Potential Seat Openings on the e-Choices website.
V. Clear Your Voicemail, Again
While this will happen less often during the time period, it is still important to respond to every school call. Some programs will only give you 24 hours to respond before offering your spot to the next person on the list.
VI. Actively Reject Offers
At this point you should have accepted an offer from one LAUSD school and perhaps from an Independent Charter or two. Make sure to withdraw applications for schools you are no longer interested in as early as possible. This will help other families get into the school of their choice and give them some peace of mind.
If you made it this far, you only have one last stage to get through:
LAUSD School Selection: Summer 2025
This last period which stretches from June all the way until mid-September will start out slow. School year culmination and summer break usually result in a lull in the admission process. During this period fewer applicants will be getting off the waiting list and it will start to feel like your window of opportunity is closing.
This state, however, will change drastically as the new school year opens in mid-August.
Here are two things you can do during this time:
I. Switch After School Starts, if You Need To
By this point you will be starting at a school of your choice. Be prepared however to receive phone calls as late as the third week of school. During those first three weeks many parents getting off other school waitlists will leave open seats behind them for families coming off their own waiting lists.
It’s helpful to remember that it’s very common to move students from school to school during this time. Both teachers and administrators anticipate the upheaval of August and September and plan accordingly. The final roster usually formalizes towards the end of September in most LAUSD schools.
II. Start the Process All Over Again
As overwhelming as this sounds, your last step in this process is to apply to various schools all over again for the 2026-2027school year. While the hope is that your child ended up in the perfect school, things can change. Principals leave, parents change jobs, and sometimes a school just isn’t a great fit for your family.
As a result, When the On Time Application window opens back up in September be sure to apply to schools you didn’t get into last year and reevaluate your options if and when you are accepted.
Use LAUSD’s Instructional Calendar for 2023-2026 School Years to help you plan further ahead.
While the LAUSD school selection process is long and complicated, it does come to an end. Need a small break? Visit MakeTimefForMom’s Outdoor and Travel section for some camping, U-Pick, and travel ideas with kids.