2025-2026 Attendance Transfer Applications: Our Timeline and Procedures Have Changed

Update: The 2025-2026 Transfer Application Window will open on Friday, August 1, 2025. 

We understand that families may have different needs and preferences for their child's education. Our goal is to provide clear and accessible information to support your transfer requests within or outside our district, as our policy, procedure, and timelines have changed.

Any student, both resident and non-resident, desiring to attend (or continue to attend) school in the Auburn School District, outside of their regular attendance area, must apply for a transfer. Parents or legal guardians must submit a transfer request to be considered for a transfer.  All requests will be considered in the order they are received.

All schools will be accepting new or renewed transfer requests, but not all requests will be accepted for enrollment. 

The Auburn School District is a great place to live and raise our kids – and our enrollment shows that!  Due to high enrollment in many of our schools, we are faced with challenges in ensuring that we have capacity to accept students who do not live in some of our school boundaries. Each year as we monitor enrollment and projected enrollment, the school board may direct us to close some schools or programs due to high student numbers.  For the 2025-2026 school year, eight schools have been closed to new student transfer requests.  This means that students who are currently attending the school who are in good standing may continue to attend the school, but all new requests for students who do not reside within the neighborhood boundaries of those schools will be denied.  Additionally, some schools that have not been closed by the board may still be facing high enrollment.  We may be required to deny new requests in particular grade levels, classes, or programs.

Timeline and Procedures for 2025-2026:

• April 1-30: For first consideration, all new in-district transfer requests or new or renewed Choice Transfer applications must be submitted during this timeframe.  Families will be notified if applications have been approved or denied within 45 days of submitting their application and all required documents.
• Reminder: Choice Transfer applications for non-resident students are reviewed and granted on a year-to-year basis. The approval or denial of the request for a given school year does not imply that a request for future school years will be either approved or denied.
• August 1-the first day of school:  Parents who do not complete an application for the upcoming school year during the April open enrollment time period, or for students entering kindergarten, may apply between August 1 and the first day of school. Decisions will be made not later than September 20^th.
• Applications received after the first day of school will be considered on a case-by-case basis for the school year in which they are received; generally secondary students would access enrollment in an Auburn School at a quarter or semester

Here’s a bit more information about each:

Residents of the Auburn School District – Resident Transfers:

Students who live in the Auburn School District and wish to attend a school other than their resident school in the 2025-2026 school year must complete and submit an Auburn School District Resident Transfer Application, found on our website at https://www.auburn.wednet.edu/Domain/4615. 

• 2025-2026 Resident Transfer Request form 
• The application window for Within District Transfer Requests, for 2025-26, will be open August 1 to the first day of school.
• Transfer decisions on those requests will be made within 45 days.
• If accepted, the transfer is in effect throughout the duration of the school’s grade-band (PK-5, 6-8, 9-12) as long as their status as a resident continues to be valid, the student remains in good standing, and provided there continues to be capacity at that school.
• Applications will continue to be accepted as received from families new to Auburn School District.
• Applications will also be accepted for current students when/if the student/parent can show good cause (such as moving to another area in Auburn but wanting to remain in the current school for continuity).
• Any request for transfer received after August 1 may not be considered until after school starts. Decisions will be made no later than September 20^th.

Policy 3131 and Procedure 3131P, titled “Resident Transfers”, identifies the guidelines for a resident student who wishes to transfer between schools within the Auburn School District. 

Students residing outside of the Auburn School District – Non-resident Transfers:

Students who live outside the Auburn School District boundaries and wish to attend one of our schools must complete a Non-resident Transfer Request and a Choice Transfer Request. Both must be completed annually.

• The Auburn School District Transfer application form found on our website at https://www.auburn.wednet.edu/Domain/4615 (submitted directly to the school you are requesting to attend); and

• The Choice Transfer Request is required by the State of Washington and is available through the state’s portal. The application is not considered complete until a Choice Transfer Request is submitted and approved by the releasing district. Please refer to the Choice Transfer Request Portal (CTRP) User Guide for instructions on how to use the portal.  
• The first application window for Non-resident Requests, for 2025-26, will be open April 1 to April 30.
• Transfer decisions on those requests will be made within 45 days.
• Applications will continue to be accepted as received on behalf of students who currently attend Auburn School District but have moved out of district.
• Any request for transfer received after August 1 may not be considered until after school starts. Decisions will be made no later than September 20^th.

Policy 3141 and Procedure 3141P, titled “Admission of Non-resident Students”, identifies the guidelines for a student who resides outside the district and wishes to attend a school in the Auburn School District.

 REMINDER: All Current Nonresident Students must reapply for continued transfer rights no later than April 30th for the next school year.

Paper forms are available for request by calling (253) 931-4712.

 Transferring out of Auburn School District?

Policy 3140 identifies the guidelines for a student who wishes to be released from the Auburn School District to attend school in another school district (no timeline restrictions).