Denver Public Schools is making school choice easier—and paperless—for families. Two years ago, DPS launched an online, mobile-friendly application system called SchoolChoice. Last year, more than 27,000 families used the online system.
This year’s choice window for the 2020-21 school year runs from January 15 to February 18, 2020. Families who want to attend a school other than their boundary school should research their options, then have their five to 12 favorites ready to input when SchoolChoice opens in January. DPS then runs a computer algorithm that matches students to schools based on families’ preferences, schools’ availability, and five priority rankings, such as whether they are a Denver resident or have siblings at that school.
Last year, 94 percent of transition grade students in DPS—students transitioning into elementary, middle, and high schools—received their first, second, or third-choice schools. DPS is not the only district utilizing the online system for school choice, Jeffco Public Schools, Cherry Creek School District, and Douglas County School District have adopted a similar process.
