How to Request a School

There are as many ways of finding information as there are families! Here are some different ideas you can explore to help you find an MPS school for your student.

• Watch our school enrollment videos

  This explains everything you need to know about the enrollment process in detail. Learn about school program options for prekindergarten, elementary, middle and high school. You can also watch a question-and-answer session with our Student Enrollment and Family Engagement teams.

• Use the School Finder to see which schools are available to you based on your home address.

• Read the Explore Now MPS guidebook available in many languages.
  Explore Now MPS Guide - English | Hmoob | Soomaali | Espanol

• Once you know your options, contact the schools that interest you to take a tour or visit their open house. Open house events are scheduled this fall and winter to help families choose a school for the 2023-24 school year.

Complete a school request form. You will find helpful guidance on what to do and next steps.

Or, complete a paper school request form and return to Student Placement Services via mail or email.

• English
• Español
• Soomaali
• Hmoob

Once you receive notification that your child is placed in an MPS school, the next step is to complete registration. You can complete this online or in person at your child’s new school.

The Online Registration Form (ORF) is available below, be sure to select the correct school year. Depending on what grade your child is entering, your school may need some or all of the following documents:

• Record of birth date: Birth certificate, passport, or other official document
• Record of immunizations: Ask your clinic for a copy of your child’s immunization record
• A copy of early childhood screening: Children entering High Five and kindergarten should have had a screening done at age three. If your child has not been screened, you can schedule an appointment by visiting early childhood screening or calling 612-668-3715.
• Special education records: If your child receives special education services, the school will need a copy of the current Individual Education Plan (IEP) and evaluation.

If you have not received placement notification, contact the MPS Enrollment Center. If you have not requested an MPS school yet, please visit ExploreMPS.org to explore your options and request a school.

Make an appointment for an English language assessment

If your home language is not English, contact the MPS Enrollment Center at 612-668-1840 to make an English assessment appointment. This is required for school registration.

Plan ahead for bus transportation in the fall

Your new school will provide you with bus information.

If you live outside your school’s bus area, your school will talk to you about your transportation options.

If you don’t know if you live within your school’s bus area, visit the School Boundary & Walk Zone Maps webpage to see maps. You can also call the MPS Enrollment Center at 612-668-1840 or email sps.department@mpls.k12.mn.us .

If your address changes before school starts in the fall, call the MPS Enrollment Center at 612-668-1840 so we can be sure your student has bus transportation on the first day.

Appealing a school placement

While Minneapolis Public Schools makes every effort to place all students at their first requested school, schools and programs have limited capacity. Families wishing to appeal their child’s elementary, middle or high school assignment may do so based on the criteria in our appeals process form below. The decisions of the Appeals Committee are final and will be honored by the Student Enrollment Department.

2023-24 K-12 School Assignment Appeal Process Form

High Five Appeals

Due to limited High Five capacity, children who are turning 4 years old by Sept. 1, 2023, and meet at least one of the criteria below are prioritized for enrollment in our High Five classrooms.

• Qualify for educational benefits (free or reduced-price lunch) based on family income
• Are English learners (EL) or have a home language other than English
• Receive special education services
• Are designated as homeless or highly mobile (HHM)

If you already requested a High Five but we were not able to place your child, and your child meets any of the above criteria, please reach out to the Enrollment Office at 612-668-1840 or SPS.Department@mpls.k12.mn.us. We will change your child’s priority status and work with you to place your child in High Five if space is available.

If your child does not meet any of the criteria listed above, your child will be added to a High Five waiting list and during the summer, we may begin offering remaining High Five openings to students who do not meet the above criteria.

Placement appeals for students who do not meet the High Five criteria will be reviewed; however, students who qualify for the eligibility criteria will be prioritized.