SchoolFit

How to apply, step by step

For starting 9th grade in fall 2027. Each district, charter school and private school sets its own dates. Here’s what we found, in order, with where each date came from.

2027-28 a date for this fall’s applications. Last year last year’s date, to show the usual timing. Every year a rule the district or school repeats each year.

Your school district’s steps

Your district is the one you live in. Open enrollment lets you apply to other districts too, so you can look at any of them.

Charter and private schools

These schools take applications on their own, apart from the district’s choice window.

Charter schools

Free public schools with their own application, often with a lottery. Apply to each one you like, on its own dates.

Private schools

Tuition schools with their own admission rules and dates.

How school choice works in Colorado

  • Every child has a spot at a free public school in the district where they live. You usually just register; no application needed.
  • You can apply to other public schools too, in your district or another one. This is called open enrollment or school choice, and it’s free. Each district sets its own dates, and most around here take applications from about December to February.
  • A district can say no only for reasons the law allows, such as the school being full or not having the program your child needs.
  • Charter schools are free public schools with their own applications and deadlines. When more students apply than there are seats, most hold a lottery and keep a waitlist.
  • Online schools are free public schools too, and often enroll any time until they’re full.
  • Private schools charge tuition, may be religious, and choose their own admission rules. Many offer their own financial aid.
  • If you choose a school outside your boundary, plan to drive. Districts usually don’t bus choice students.
  • Military families moving here on orders can apply before they arrive, using the base school liaison’s address.

Sources: Colorado law on school choice (C.R.S. 22-36-101); Colorado Department of Education: Open Enrollment; Colorado law on charter schools (C.R.S. 22-30.5-104); Colorado law for military families (C.R.S. 22-36-107). Checked Oct 31, 2026.

Not sure which schools to look at? Find good fits first, then come back for the dates.