School Application Time!

For those of you with school age children, we’d like to note that we are once again in one of several periods throughout the year when applications are being taken for various kinds of local school programs.

Magnet Schools

If you’re an LAUSD parent, you may be aware that the annual deadline for magnet program applications was last November.  But you might be less aware that there is also a “Late Application” window for magnet programs, which opened on Feburary 1.  Students applying to magnet programs during the late application period will be placed on wait lists for the schools to which they apply, and can be called for admission if there are any vacant seats after those who submitted on-time applications are admitted and enrolled.  Unlike applications submitted before the November deadline, late applications do not accure any priority or wait list points if a student does not get into their school of choice.  Applications are available at the link above. Lists of magnet schools, and other information about LAUSD magnet programs, are available at http://echoices.lausd.net/.

Charter Schools

If you might be interested in having your child attend a charter school next year, note that while charters are no-cost public schools, admission is always by lottery…and each school sets its own lottery application procedures and deadlines.  This is also the time of year when most charters make applications available and hold their lotteries, so if you are interested in attending any of our local charters, or a charter elsewhere in the metro area, please take a few minutes to check the individual school’s website for application and lottery information – again, all charter schools do NOT have the same deadlines and procedures.   To find charter schools near us, the California Charter Schools Association has a handy interactive search map — you can see http://www.ccsa.org/schools/#search-locus=90004&search-radius=3 for charter schools within a 3-mile radius of Larchmont.

Private Schools

As with charter schools, local independent schools also set their own admissions rules, procedures and deadlines, and this is also the time of year when many of them are most actively holding open houses and accepting applications.  Again, as with charters, you’ll need to check with individual schools for tour, application and deadline information.  The Los Angeles Independent Schools organization lists many (though not all!) local independent schools.

So if you’re looking for a new school for you child for next year, whichever type of school you’re interested in, please do take a few moments in the next few days to make sure you’re aware of the dates and requirements for applications…if you haven’t already done so!