*NOTE:  All Pre-K programs give priority enrollment consideration based on income guidelines, home language and/or special education

Admission Priorities

This information outlines the way students are placed at schools based on the choices selected by their families on their school application. The rules below are based on layers of factors that prioritize keeping families together; encourage learning closer to home; and provide programs and services that help achieve more racial and socio-economic diversity in our schools. 

If the number of applications exceeds the number of spaces available, the following layers of priorities are used to determine school placement. Students with siblings who currently attend the requested school will receive priority within each of the following categories. Siblings need to attend the same school at the same time in order to receive sibling priority.

Community School Zone (CSZ): These zones apply to all elementary students. Priority is given to students who live within a school's Community School Zone so that as many students as possible from that neighborhood are enrolled in the school.

Reflecting St. Paul: This admission priority is based on residential addresses in high-need neighborhoods, which are defined by the proportion of residents eligible for free or reduced-price lunch; proportion of residents with a home language other than English; and reading/math proficiency rates of students in those neighborhoods. Up to 25 percent of available seats in certain low-poverty schools will be set aside for students residing in these neighborhoods. The current list of low-poverty schools includes: Adams Spanish Immersion, Capitol Hill Gifted and Talented, Chelsea Heights Elementary, EXPO Elementary, Horace Mann School, Jie Ming Mandarin Immersion Academy, J.J. Hill Montessori, L’Etoile du Nord French Immersion, Randolph Heights Elementary, and St. Anthony Park Elementary. Transportation may not be available to all sites. For more information, please call the Student Placement Center at 651-632-3760.

Area: Priority will be given to students who live within the identified Area (A-F1/F2), but outside a school’s Community Zone. (Only applicable for community schools.)

Regional: Priority will be given to students requesting entrance to a school that is identified as a Regional Magnet school option for their address. Enter your address in the School Finder to determine which regional magnets are available to families in your neighborhood.

District: Priority will be given to St. Paul residents requesting entrance to a school that is identified as a District Magnet.

Out of District: Students living outside the city of Saint Paul will be admitted to district schools, if space allows.

Open Enrollment: Open enrollment enables students who live in Saint Paul to attend schools outside of the school district and students who live outside the school district to attend a school in Saint Paul. Space availability and school district policies may impact whether a student's open enrollment request is granted. Students living in Saint Paul generally receive preference for admission into Saint Paul Public Schools. An Open Enrollment form must be submitted and can be emailed to spc@spps.org or faxed to 651-632-3704.

Specific Employee Consideration: Priority is available to children of all current empluees (temporary employees and contractors/vendors are not eligible). Pre-K programs and Capitol Hill are not included in this priority consideration. In continuing to support the District's efforts to ensure equity and access for all families as well as ongoing integrations efforts, schools reaching a threshold of 50 percent or lower high poverty will be excluded from this priority consideration. The list of schools for 2022-23 includes Adams Spanish Immersion, Central High School, Chelsea Heighs Elementary, Expo Elementary, Groveland Park Elementary, Highland Park Middle, Highland Park Senior High, Horace Mann, J.J. Hill Montessori, Jie Ming Mandarin Immersion, L'Etoile du Nord French Immersion, Open World Learning, Randolph Heights Elementary, and St. Anthony Park Elementary.

NOTE: To be eligible for Capitol Hill in grades 1-5, students must be identified as an advanced learner through a district assessment offered in kindergarten and grade 2 or portfolio review. Visit the gifted services website for more information, Talent Development & Acceleration Services.