Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Student Application Timeline for Choice Districts
Enrollment in the 2026-27 School Year
| Document Name/Process | From | Received by | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Notification to Resident District of Intent to Participate in the Interdistrict School Choice Program | Aviso De Intención De Participar en el Programa de Elección de Escuelas Públicas entre Distritos (Required for all choice applicants) | Parent/Guardian | Resident District | 11/24/2025 |
| Student Applications to Choice Districts | Parent/Guardian | Choice District | 11/24/2025 |
| NJDOE data collection: District Application Data to Calculate FY2026 Choice Enrollment Maximum |
Choice District | Department of Education | 11/25/2025 thru 12/3/2025 |
| Resident District Confirmation of Student Enrollment (Submitted to all resident districts) | Choice District | Resident District | 12/1/2025 |
| Resident District Confirmation of Student Enrollment (Verification of enrollment by resident district) | Resident District | Choice District | 12/5/2025 |
| Lottery Date Notification | Choice District | Parent/Guardian | 12/9/2025 |
| Lottery (If applicable; select date within deadline window) | Choice District | N/A | 12/11/2025 thru 12/15/2025 |
| District Notice of Student's Conditional Acceptance, Non-Acceptance, or Wait Listing | Spanish Language Templates | Choice District | Parent/Guardian | 12/19/2025 |
| Student Notice of Intent to Enroll in Choice District | Aviso de Intención de Inscribirse en el Programa de elección de escuelas públicas entre distritos | Parent/Guardian | Choice District | 1/8/2026 |
| Student’s Notice of Intent to Enroll in the Choice District (Choice districts send copy of each student’s Intent form to their resident district) |
Choice District | Resident District | 1/12/2026 |
| NJDOE data collection: FY2026 Choice Enrollment Data Submission | Choice District | Department of Education | 1/12/2026 thru 1/19/2026 |
| Transportation Requests | Choice District | Resident District | No later than 3/15/2026 |
| Student Registration with Choice District | Parent/Guardian | Choice District | Determined by Choice District |
Late Applications
Districts may accept late applications after the November 24, 2025, deadline until October 14 of the enrollment year, however, no new applicants can be enrolled above the district's approved maximum enrollment, with the exception of students who receive a commissioner approved waiver of the application deadline. Late applicants can be considered for enrollment only after those who applied before the deadline.
If, after the NJDOE data submission deadline of Jan. 19, 2026, any accepted choice students decide to drop their acceptance, the district may replace them with students on the waitlist, including students who applied after the application deadline—provided late applicants are considered after those who applied before the deadline.
After the FY2027 NJDOE enrollment data submission deadline, no additional choice seats can be added, with the following exception: Districts that accept a student with a NJDOE-approved waiver of the application deadlines may enroll the student at any time and may exceed the district's approved enrollment maximum. A student who is granted a waiver will be given priority over any waitlisted students. Parents can request a waiver form by emailing the Choice Program Office.