FAQ

It is the philosophy of the Vail School District to provide families with a choice in the high school their student attends. The Vail School District has created six unique high schools for our students and families living within the school district boundary to choose from. Through this process, families will have the opportunity to learn more about each of the high schools and choose the school that provides the programs, courses, and activities that best meets the interests and needs of their student.

Families will submit their HS school choice rankings from February 1st thru February 26th. Submissions can be input and changed multiple times while the portal is open and are not first come first served. Families will need their parent PowerSchool login and password to access the school choice portal. If you are experiencing sign in issues, please visit https://ps.vail.k12.az.us/public/ to recover your password and/or contact your child’s middle school for assistance.

All families will be emailed their placement by 5pm on Friday, March 12th, 2021.

The Vail School District has offered High School Choice to families since the addition of Empire High School in 2005. We have purposely designed our high schools to provide families a choice, so that they can find a school that best fits their student. A new system created for the 2016-2017 school year allowed families to rank their school preferences. The new system was designed to maximize the number of students being enrolled in their top choice school, reduce stress on families, and streamline the process for school staff.

Yes, if the student fulfills either of the following criteria:

1. I have a student already attending a Vail high school and a current 8th grade student:­­­­

• The HS sibling and the 8th grade student must both reside in the Vail district boundaries.
• The HS sibling must be currently enrolled in 9th-11th grade in a Vail high school.

2.   I have two 8th grade students:

• The 8th grade students must both reside in the Vail district boundaries.
• If there is a high school lottery and one sibling is selected, then the other will be given the choice
  to attend the same school.

Yes. The Vail School District honors the commitment its employees have made and, in turn, gives the benefit of choosing the high school their student attends.

All out-of-district open enrollment families may submit an open enrollment request form for a high school within Vail. Open enrollment will only be granted to out-of-district students based on availability of space after all in-district students are placed.

Please visit http://www.vailschooldistrict.org/ to access the application for open enrollment. Applications can be submitted online by the priority deadline - March 1st. Questions regarding open enrollment can be referred to Pam Scanlon (520) 879-3982. Out of district open enrollment is determined on a year-to-year basis. Open enrollment is valid for only one school year at a time.

Your school preference will be considered alongside every other student within the school district. Students who receive special services will submit their school choice form through the online portal and take part in the school choice process.

Students who are MSAA/AIMS A eligible will work with their case manager to determine the best fit for the student based on a combination of preference, available services, and capacity at each site.

The Vail School District will be implementing a new transportation plan beginning with the 2021/22 school year. Students attending Andrada, Empire, Pantano, and Vail Academy and High School will NOT be impacted by the changes. In addition, students living in the “Flex Zone” will NOT be impacted by the changes.

However, students living in the "Cienega Zone" and attending Mica Mountain will NOT be provided transportation. Similarly, students living in the "Mica Mountain Zone" and attending Cienega will NOT be provided transportation.

Transportation may be available to participate in a high school course or activity that is not offered at your school. However, transportation is provided only on a year-by-year basis and is not available for all district programs. Currently, transportation is provided from all schools for students to attend Navy ROTC located at Cienega HS during zero hour.

Preference will be given to students who live within the transportation zone. If there are remaining spots available, families from outside of the zone can transport their students to the school, or if they are able to get their student to an approved  “Transportation Zone Hub” they will be transported to and from school.  Please work with our transportation department to learn more about Transportation Zone Hubs. For more information, visit www.vailschooldisrict.org.

Every Vail high school offers specific programs, coursework and supports for high achieving and motivated students. Contact individual schools for specific information on their programs.

Additionally, every Vail student has the option of participating in:
-   AP and college level coursework
-   A rigorous academic program
-   Academic interventions, intersession support, summer school and reteach
-   Credit recovery and grade replacement opportunities

If you live within the Vail School District boundaries, but your student attended a non-Vail middle school, or if you are planning to move to the Vail School District boundaries before your student starts high school, please call 520-879-3982 or email schoolchoice@vailschooldistrict.org.  If you do not live within the Vail School District boundaries, but would like your student to attend a Vail high school please visit http://www.vailschooldistrict.org/ to access the application for open enrollment. Applications can be submitted online by the priority deadline - March 1st.

The deadline to submit a high school to high school transfer request is November 14th (for January enrollment) and April 30th (for July enrollment). Decisions are made by 12/1 for January enrollment and 5/15 for July enrollment. Requests to transfer to another high school once the school year begins can be submitted at any time, but will not be processed until the end of the current semester. The online In-District Transfer Application can be found at vailschooldistrict.org under Registration. At the end of each semester, the district will review current enrollment and determine if space is available to accommodate transfers the following semester.  High school to high school transfers are not guaranteed. If your student is experiencing any immediate issues or concerns at their current school, they should reach out to their school administration or school counselor for support.

For more information:

Call: 520-879-3982
Email: schoolchoice@vailschooldistrict.org
Visit: Info.VailHighSchoolChoice.org