Enrollment Overview
New Orleans has a unique school system where 100% of our schools are public charter schools. Even though charter schools are managed by individual Charter Management Organizations (CMOs), the district manages enrollment and applications to all NOLA-PS schools through a unified enrollment system. Early childhood and K-12 families use the NOLA-PS Common Application Process, otherwise known as NCAP enrollment, to rank preferred schools. The NCAP enrollment allows families to apply to schools online anytime during the Main Round period.
The New Orleans public school enrollment system includes Type 1 & Type 3 schools, which are authorized locally by the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB), and Type 2 schools, which are authorized by the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).
Additional Information
The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) is the only local public school that does not participate in the unified enrollment system; learn more at
www.nocca.com. See the
2024-2025 New Orleans Public School Governance Chart for more information about charter networks.
As early as 2007, families began advocating for unified enrollment that would provide fair access to all schools. In 2011, a common enrollment system was established in response to continued calls for greater accountability and a clear, equitable unified enrollment system. Since then, schools have gradually been added to the NOLA-PS enrollment system. As of the 2021-2022 school year, all public schools (with the exception of NOCCA) are a part of the unified enrollment system. The NOLA Public Schools enrollment team manages admissions, readmissions, and transfers for all New Orleans public schools.
The NOLA-PS district team works closely with schools to ensure families have a smooth enrollment experience from initial enrollment through graduation. New Orleans Public Schools serves students from six weeks old through grade 12. Families apply to schools or early childhood centers through a single application. The application process is called the NOLA-PS Common Application Process, or “NCAP” for short. Please note that there are some differences between enrollment policies and procedures for early childhood programs and K-12 schools. Learn more on the
early childhood page.
