Waitlist FAQs

During Round One and Round Two, a waitlist is established if the number of applicants exceeds the number of available seats.

Applicants who are not initially offered a seat are placed on the waitlist for that specific school, program, and grade level. Position on the waitlist is determined by the round, a predefined priority structure, and a random lottery number.

Can I accept an offer and stay on a waitlist for another school? 

Yes.

Can I see changes to the waitlist in Enroll Austin?

Yes. You can check for updates by clicking on “Next Steps” in the top ribbon or student tile. We also advise parents to watch for emails regarding offers. 

Do I lose my spot on the waitlist if I rearrange/update my choice of schools?

Waitlists are maintained through the first two weeks of the next school year. The only actions that will remove a student from a waitlist are 1) the parent chooses to remove the student from the waitlist and 2) the waitlists are retired after the first two weeks of the school year. 

What if I am offered placement to the school I ranked first on my list, but I am interested in a school that I ranked lower which has a status of “Assigned to Higher Ranked Choice”? Can I get on the waitlist of a school I originally ranked lower?

After the Round 2 transfer window has closed and been processed, no other students can be added to the waitlist. The Transfer Exception request process is available.

I am on the waitlist for all the schools on my list. What should I do next?

We recommend that you register for your zoned school. All students who live within Austin ISD have a guaranteed seat at their zoned school. Registering at your zoned school will not affect your waitlist status. 

How do I know that my seat is confirmed after I accept an offer of a seat?

You will receive a confirmation email. You also can log into Enroll Austin. The student tile on the homepage will display the name of the campus.

Why was someone else with a higher waitlist number than me offered placement before me?

Each campus has multiple programs at various grade levels and each of those options are independent lotteries and waitlists. Each of these is a separate program with separate lotteries for each grade level. One student may be on the General Education waitlist for grade 1 and the other applicant may have been on the Dual Language waitlist for grade 1. Because these are separate waitlists, they will only move when an offered seat has been declined for that specific waitlist.

I was offered placement to one of my ranked schools of choice. What should I do next?

• Accept the offered seat by logging into Enroll Austin prior to the expiration date and click accept on the Next Steps page. Offers not accepted prior to the expiration date are automatically declined and the opportunity is lost. 
• If you choose to decline the seat, click Decline.
• Please also verify that the Annual Forms are complete. 

Do waitlists close?

Yes. They close after the first two weeks of the school year.