Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Enrollment Limits

The maximum student enrollment for FY2027 will be based on each choice district's FY2026 actual funded choice enrollment as shown in the district's State Aid Statement. The FY2027 approved maximum cannot exceed this number with the exception of:

• Special dispensations
• Any choice students that receive commissioner approved waivers

(See "Special dispensation for siblings and students from sending/constituent choice districts," below.)

Final choice funding will be based on the district's projected choice enrollment submitted by the district in January. The final choice funding and enrollment is included in the district's annual State Aid Statement, issued in February/March. This enrollment data will then become the maximum for the following application cycle.

Districts with No Choice students in FY2026

Approved choice districts that did not enroll any choice students in FY2026 will be given an FY2027 enrollment maximum of 3.

A district may provide enrollment and receive choice funding in FY2027 for choice applicants who are siblings of current choice students and students from sending choice districts who are applying to a choice program, even if it exceed the NJDOE's choice enrollment limit. 

A choice district may receive special dispensation from the NJDOE for an increase to its maximum choice enrollment if all of the following are true:

• The choice district gives enrollment preference to siblings of choice students.
• The choice applicant has a sibling who is currently attending the choice district in the current school year.
• The sibling will continue to attend the choice district in the following school year.

Similarly, choice districts that are in a formal sending/receiving or constituent relationship with another choice district and give enrollment preference to choice students who have completed the terminal grade of the sending district may receive special dispensation from the NJDOE for an increase to their maximum choice enrollment. Note that special dispensation will be given only if the district can demonstrate that all open seats will be filled by siblings and/or receiving students. Enrollment preferences must be posted in the district's enrollment policies and in their choice district profile.

In order to get an accurate count of these enrollment preference students, districts should send communication to all their choice families and any receiving districts to ensure that these students submit choice applications by the application deadline.

Additional Seats above the Enrollment Maximum

The NJDOE will reach out to all choice districts immediately after the application deadline with instructions for submitting the projected choice enrollment data to determine if special dispensation is needed.

Late Applications

Choice applicants who miss the application deadline must complete a waiver of the application deadline. If approved, these choice students will become "unfunded choice students". After the district's choice enrollment data submission in January, the district’s choice enrollment and funding will be finalized for the subsequent year.

Resident students who move during the school year must be allowed to continue to attend the district for the remainder of the school year, provided they are in the choice–approved grades/programs and they meet any program-specific criteria. These students will become temporary "unfunded choice students" for the remainder of the school year, and are eligible for choice transportation. However, the students must apply for enrollment in the choice district for the next school year.

Moving Before Choice Application Deadline

Resident students who move before the application deadline need to apply for a seat in the choice–approved grades/programs and meet any program-specific criteria, like other choice applicants. However, resident students who move may be given enrollment preference if the district has adopted a preference policy for these students, as follows:

If resident students move and file choice applications for the following year before the application deadline, the district may give them enrollment preference (i.e., accept them ahead of other non-preference applicants), provided there are choice seats available in the choice-approved grades/ programs and the students meet any program-specific criteria. However, no additional choice seats above the enrollment maximum will be approved by the NJDOE to accommodate these students. This policy needs to be included on the district's Choice Program Profile and clearly posted on the district's website.

Moving After Choice Application Deadline

Resident students who move after the application deadline may apply as late applicants for the following year. Some districts have a policy that these students can be added to the front of the district's waiting list, provided the students will enroll in a choice-approved grade/program and they meet any program-specific criteria. However, no additional choice seats above the maximum will be approved by the NJDOE to accommodate these students. This policy needs to be included on the district's Choice Program Profile and clearly posted on the district's website.

Students who receive a Commissioner-approved waiver of the Choice application deadline are given an exception to a district's enrollment maximum. If a district accepts a student with a waiver and it does not have an available choice seat to accommodate the student, the NJDOE will increase the district's choice enrollment maximum. However, funding for that student depends on when the student is enrolled.

Enrolled Before the NJDOE Choice Enrollment January Data Collection

If the student is enrolled before the January data collection, the district will receive funding for that additional student in the next school year.

Enrolled After the NJDOE Choice Enrollment January Data Collection

If the student is enrolled after the January data collection, the district will not receive funding for that student in the next school year, but will receive funding in subsequent years. In this situation, the student must be coded as an "unfunded choice student" in NJ SMART.