Registering Your Child For School

New to Colorado and not sure how to register your child for school? Check out these important resources:

• Your rights as a parent. All children in the United States are entitled to equal access to a basic public elementary and secondary education regardless of race, color, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, or family status. Find more information in this fact sheet from the US Department of Justice, opens a new window. A public school in your neighborhood must accept your student at any point throughout the school year (charter schools and enrollment zone schools might have different rules for enrollment).
  
• School districts in Arapahoe county. Use your address to find your school district and neighborhood boundary, opens a new window.                            
  • Aurora Public Schools
  • Byers School District
  • Cherry Creek Schools
  • Deer Trail 26J School District
  • Denver Public Schools
  • Douglas County School District
  • Englewood Schools
  • Littleton Public Schools
  • Sheridan School District
  • Full list of Colorado public schools with contact information and addresses, opens a new window
• School choice. Colorado families have an option to select a different school for their student within their own district or in neighboring school districts. To understand this process, read this article about school choice in Colorado, opens a new window prepared by the national online publication on education, Chalkbeat.
• Contact your neighborhood school to find out whether to register in person or online. 
• Prepare the following documents for registration:
  • Proof of age (birth certificate or other documentation)
  • Proof of home address (e.g., utility bill, apartment lease, or three pieces of mail in your name)
  • Name of the previous school
  • Local schools may ask for other information, check with individual schools about their requirements
  • Proof of immunization
    • The school will give you a 14 days grace period for providing proof of vaccination or starting immunization process
    • Click here for the list of required vaccines
    • Colorado requires that families submit the proof of immunization in a certain format. A medical provider in Colorado will be able to review your student's immunization records and add them to the Colorado database to generate a Colorado certificate of immunization. Certificates of immunization from other states are not always accepted. Certificates of immunization from other countries must be translated and presented to a Colorado medical provider for review. Read more on immunization forms here.  
• Fill out registration forms:             
  • Provide emergency contacts and information about your household
  • Share essential medical information about your student, especially allergies, asthma status and any medications taken by your child
  • Identify your student for specialized services, such as
    • English language learning (referred to as ELA, ELL, ESL, LDE or MLE, etc.)
    • Special education for children with disabilities or neurological or mental differences or needing developmental supports for instruction (referred to as special ed, SPED, IEP, 504 plan, etc.)
    • Gifted and talented education (referred to as GT, HGT or twice exceptional if a learner qualifies for both - special education and GT services)
  • Disclose other circumstances as this will help the school to serve you better and identify additional funding for school. Examples of what a school might ask you to share:
    • Military status
    • Agricultural migrant status
    • Immigrant status
    • Homeless status
• Fill out Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL) form even if you do not think you qualify or plan to use school lunches. Schools use the stats from these forms to apply for additional funding. The form might be offered on paper or via online link.  Learn here about income limits for FRL eligibility, opens a new window.
• The school might ask you to fill out additional paperwork, including but not limited to:
  • Photo and video release
  • Parental consent to technology use and Internet access
  • Parental consent to participation in sports and other activities
  • Student's learning preferences, interests, and social-emotional needs