First and Second Lottery process
First Lottery process
As part of the school request and enrollment process, families must submit their school request by a specific due date (usually in February) to get the best chance of receiving their top-requested school(s).
Once that school request due date comes, then Student Enrollment places students at schools. This process is called the first lottery process. MPS tries to place as many students as possible at their first-choice school, but sometimes a school may not have enough space to take all students.
Second Lottery process
School requests received by the second lottery due date (usually in April) will have a another opportunity to make a school request as outlined below. Please know that participating in the second lottery does not guarantee placement at a school.
A second lottery process is automatically done for any family who:
- Did not receive any of their requested schools in the first lottery.
- Received their second-choice school but would like to try again for their first-choice school.
- Did not get their school requests in by the first lottery due date (usually in February)
The second lottery is also focused on ensuring a mix of students from all economic backgrounds have the opportunity to attend a magnet program or are enrolled at a community schools that still have room for more students.
If you’d like to explore other school options, you can do so and still submit a new request for the second lottery until the due date. Fore more information, see the Second Lottery frequently asked questions.
