Yes! Choice Schools and Programs use bus routes available through a “hub” system, in which many SAISD schools throughout the district serve as pick-up and drop-off locations. 

One bus picks up students from their stop in the morning and transports them to a central location. There, they transfer to a second bus that takes them to their Choice school. In the afternoon, students board the bus at their Choice school and again transfer buses to be dropped off at their original location.  

• In-district and out-of-district students may ride the bus to and from any of the stops provided. 
• There is no cost to ride these buses. 
• Using the Choice bus routes is not required. 
• Routes for High Schools are separate from the routes for Elementary Schools, Middle Schools, and Academies.

Learn more and see current schedules on our Choice Transportation page.

For more information, visit SAISD’s Transportation department page.

Each student may apply to a maximum of eight (8) schools/programs for the lottery. 

If you’ve declined a seat offer, if your application has been withdrawn or canceled, or if an offer has been revoked, then that application is no longer considered active and does not count towards the limit of eight (8) schools/programs. Additional schools/programs may be added as long as the total number of active applications is no more than eight (8). 

The lottery is a blind, randomized, computerized process conducted at the district level. The district utilizes a priority framework to ensure equity and access for historically disadvantaged students.

Once submitted, each application is tagged with its corresponding demographic factors. Then, the online platform conducts the lottery according to programmed lottery parameters. The Office of Access and Enrollment (OAE) determines lottery guidelines for each campus.

The lottery determines placement for each applicant by considering the following factors:

-the schools/programs selected. 
-the way the applicant ranked their school preferences in the application,
-the number of seats available at each school/program for that grade, 
-the applicant’s priority level for that school/program, and 
-the applicant’s random lottery number. 

Applicants are considered in order of priority group and random lottery number. They will receive an offer for their highest-ranked school that has space. If the applicant is not matched to their first choice, the system keeps them on the waitlist of higher-ranked schools.

Yes. Siblings of currently enrolled students and siblings applying for the same school/program and school year receive priority during the lottery according to the established priority structure.

Sibling priority is given only to eligible applicants who submit an application before the application window closes. Siblings who submit an application after the application window closes will not receive sibling priority for offers. Their application will be added to the end of the waitlist in order of submission date. Siblings not accepted through the lottery may still be considered for enrollment at the principal’s discretion according to district guidelines.

Sibling Enrolled

Siblings of students who are currently enrolled at the school and who will still be enrolled for the new school year will receive sibling priority during the lottery if seats are available for their grade level. If seats are not available for their grade level during the lottery, they will be placed on the waitlist in order of priority group and random lottery number.

Siblings Applying

Siblings applying to enter the same  Choice School or Program for the same school year is also one of the priorities used during the lottery according to the established priority structure. 

For example:

• If Sibling A is offered a seat through the lottery and Sibling B is not, then Sibling B will receive sibling priority for an offer.
• If seats are not available for Sibling B’s grade level during the lottery, they will instead be placed on the waitlist in order of priority group and random lottery number. 
• If both siblings are placed on the waitlist and then Sibling A receives an offer, Sibling B will remain on the waitlist until a seat might become available.

There are several ways to accept a Choice offer:

-BY PHONE: Call the SAISD Enrollment Office at (210) 554-2660 or the Choice School you are accepting for (see school directory here).
-EMAIL/TEXT: Send an email to enroll@saisd.net or a text message to (210) 309-3259.
-ONLINE: Log in to the online application portal “to Accept” button the offer for your one desired school/program.

Notifications of offers made from waitlists are sent by email and/or text message and will include an acceptance deadline. Offers from waitlists typically have 2 business days to accept. Offers not accepted by the deadline are rescinded and then offered to the next applicant on the waitlist.

We’d be happy to talk! Please contact the SAISD Enrollment Office at (210) 554-2660 or send us an email at enroll@saisd.net.