Rete

Have you been to West LA? Do you really know what city you want to live in and if an appropriate rental is available to you? Are you being allowed to take a trip to LA before the move to sought out a place to live and to view the various towns you have mentioned? If so, then and only then should you attempt to do anything secure your child's educational institution. They are many variables to a move such as this and while the educational system is a priority item, you are thinking of placing the cart before the horse in wanting to secure a placement as you honestly cannot say where you will be living.

Havnfun

We are in Orange County so it might be different but we had to actually provide the school with a copy of our lease with our address before we could register our son in the public school system, so just mailbox address wouldn't have worked. I don't know anything about private schools in California, other than they are crazy expensive!

Pulaski

How hard would it be to print your own lease?

penguinsix

I had a situation where the DMV would not recognize my lease because the name, rent amount, etc was written in in ink not typed (it was a template lease they just filled in the details). I looked at the guy like WTF and he said "don't worry--just go across the hall and register to vote. They'll accept a lease like that. Once you have your temporary voter ID card I can register you with that."

This was before 9/11 and motor voter rules but always remember that bureaucratic silliness.

Pulaski

There are all sorts of ways to game the address system - I have a PO Box, but my bank wouldn't accept a PO Box address, and back then (unlike now) you couldn't use the street address of the Post Office. .... However the bank's web site would accept P0 Box (P"zero" Box). "sneaky"

sunshine18

I'm all good - had some great early contact with the schools and am a bit clearer now on process

Thanks for the help

vikingsail

Not sure if I am not getting this but my cursory research shows that Southern CA public school districts allow for 'new to district' applications which you would surely be if moving from abroad? So am I missing something?

Rete

It doesn't matter unless it is a private school. A public school must take your child if you are in their catchment area. Every child in the US is entitled to go to school whether they are here legally or illegally. You may think the classroom is overcrowded but they will have to make room for the child regardless.

Have you looked at the vaccination requirements necessary for school enrollment? If not, please do so. Your child must be up-to-date on all vaccinations at the time of registration.

Pulaski

I don't believe that applies to Charter Schools (they aren't forced to take additional students when they are "full".)

Rete

AFAIK, one of my attorney/employers was head of the board of a charter school in Brooklyn. They are considered private schools, not public schools. So as I mentioned, it doesn't matter if the public school / classroom is full, they still have to take your child. I said that does not apply to private schools which will not accept a child if their school / classroom is full.

Pulaski

Yes, I agree, and that is what I don't think was clear in your post #23. Your post was perfectly clear about public schools.

Rete

You need to read the bolded quoted part first and then my post and it makes perfect sense

"still can't work out how we do this when places will be allocated before we even arrive and have an address for the application form?! "

"It doesn't matter unless it is a private school. Assume that the OP is smart enough to read that as "it only matters that the places are all allocated before you move, if it is a private school. A public school must take your child if you are in their catchment area. Every child in the US is entitled to go to school whether they are here legally or illegally. You may think the classroom is overcrowded but they will have to make room for the child regardless."

penguinsix

I should also note that California has what is known as "school choice" allowing students to attend whatever public school they want, sort of.

Basically, first 'choice' is go to the school that is in your cachement. This is the guaranteed way to go to a school you want--live next to it.

Second is called an "intra-district" transfer. Live in the school district (i.e. the city or community of several schools) and transfer from Elementary A to Elementary B, if there are spaces available.

Third is called an "inter-district" transfer. Live in school district A and transfer to school district B. These are rarer and fewer, but can also be done (often done for commuting or sports reasons).

The details are here, but you'll have to drill down deep to find your community / district and school to see if they participate.

District Transfers - California Department of Education FAQ (CA Dept of Education)

Pulaski

"There are three sorts of school, but I am only going to tell you how two of them work."

S Folinsky

I live in Los Angeles and my children went all the way through L.A. Unified. Even so, I can't comment intelligently on the subject. That said...

I wouldn't be too sure about "catchment areas" when it comes to L.A. Unified. I can't say I've kept up with the details, but public school enrollment is no longer pure neighborhood.

I have no idea how Santa Monica/Malibu Unified nor the South Bay Districts work.