Annual Enrollment Processes
Families who enter the city or school system on or after September 16 may enroll into open seats on a first-come, first-served basis. Placements will be made in person at
Family Resource Centers, based on seat availability. With a handful of exceptions, all schools with an available seat are expected to welcome new students who join NOLA-PS during the school year. In order to receive a school placement, families new to the system must provide parent/guardian identification, proof of residency, child’s birth certificate, and most recent report card.
NCAP is the NOLA-PS Common Application Process and the only way for interested families to apply to enroll in a participating school for the upcoming school year. Families should participate in the Main Round in the late fall/early winter to have the best chance to get assigned to your top school choices. The NCAP Main Round uses a matching process where each student receives a single best school offer. The algorithm of the matching process assigns each student to their highest ranked school choice for which there is an available seat. The algorithm makes assignments based on student and school specific information:
During the summer families will participate in Open Enrollment and may enroll via the online form, without having to come in person.
Grade Placement
For students in elementary school, initial grade placement is made based on age. Please bring the student’s birth certificate and the student’s most recent report card to assist with the correct placement.
For students in high school, initial grade placement is made based on credits earned. Please bring your student’s most recent report card or transcript to the Family Resource Center to assist with correct placement. Without an available transcript, a student will be placed in grade 9.
Please see the
2024-2025 Placement chart for specifics.
School-Specific Information
- Please note that some schools with academic eligibility criteria do not accept students mid-year during the school year.
- Ben Franklin High School does not accept new students after July 1 annually.
- Lake Forest Elementary School does not accept new students after September 1 annually.
- The Willow School does not accept new students after September 1 annually.
- Audubon Montessori School accepts new students year-round if a seat is available at the prospective student’s grade level. Students must pass the academic eligibility assessment in order to be eligible for an available seat during the school year.
- Some schools use a language immersion model for instruction. Prospective students must pass a language proficiency exam to demonstrate foundational knowledge. If you would like to apply to a school with a language assessment, reach out to the school to schedule testing. Students cannot be assigned to a school with language eligibility criteria until they have met assessment criteria. Schools with language proficiency assessments are:
- Audubon Uptown School (French)
- Hynes – Lakeview & Hynes – UNO (French)
- International School of Louisiana (French and Spanish)
- Lycee Francais (French)
- New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) does not participate in our unified enrollment system. You can learn more about NOCCA and how to apply at www.nocca.com.
- New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy (NOMMA) offers a year-round priority for recently relocated children of military families. Military families who have relocated to the greater New Orleans area can reach out to Margaret Nicolosi, the School Liaison for the New Orleans Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base for assistance with enrollment in Orleans Parish. Families can learn more at the NavyMWR New Orleans website or reach Margaret by email (margaret.i.nicolosi.naf@us.navy.mil) or phone (504-210-7338).
