Image
Open Enrollment Application Process
View details of the Open Enrollment Out-of-District Transfer program and application process.
To participate in our Open Enrollment Out-of-District Transfer program, students must apply during the appropriate application window and provide documentation that they meet the eligibility criteria. Applications are required as open campuses and available seats are limited.
See below for details about the program and the application process.
Note: The GISD Board of Trustees reserves the right to discontinue the Open Enrollment Out-of-District Transfer program at the end of any school year. The Texas Education Code requires that parents re-apply for the program each school year (see Garland ISD Board Policy FDA (LOCAL)).
On this page
Application timelines for the 2025-26 school year
There are different timelines based on the grade a student will be entering for the upcoming year.
Timeline for grades 1-12
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| April 2-23 | Out-of-district transfers window |
Timeline for Pre-K and Kindergarten
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| May 29-June 26 | Out-of-district transfers window |
How to apply
Please click on the button below to apply for an out-of-district transfer.
The transfer must be reviewed to determine if the student meets the transfer qualifications before the student can be approved for enrollment.
Please submit a separate application for each student you want to be considered for a transfer. Application is by each student, not by family. This is required because the student is applying for a specific empty seat in a specific grade at a district-designated campus. There is no guarantee that siblings will be approved to attend Garland ISD, or a specified campus through the out-of-district program process.
Apply for out-of-district transfer
Required documents
Contact your student's current campus to request these documents that are required for the application process:
- Attendance record
- Current report card
- Discipline record
Any falsifications, misrepresentations or omission of the required documents may disqualify your student's application.
Screening process to determine transfer eligibility
We have a rubric that will be used to determine if a prospective student is eligible for a transfer between districts. Students may score up to 18 points on the screening rubric.
Based on the most recent records provided by the parent, each application will be evaluated in the following areas:
- Attendance percentage
- Grades for the four core classes: math, science, social students and reading/language arts
- Number of office discipline referral incidents
Note: Students entering prekindergarten and kindergarten are exempt from prior year attendance and academic standards, except as required should there be a January (mid-year) admittance.
The student will earn a score based on the chart below. Based on the 18 possible points, the student's application status will be:
- 15–18 Points – Immediate Acceptance
- 10–14 Points – Waitlisted for Possible Consideration
Screening rubric
| Criteria | Points | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | -1 | |
| Attendance percentage | 95% or better | 90-94% | 89% or less | ||
| Math grade | 90-100 | 80-89 | 70-79 | ||
| Science grade | 90-100 | 80-89 | 70-79 | ||
| Social Studies grade | 90-100 | 80-89 | 70-79 | ||
| Reading/Language Arts grade | 90-100 | 80-89 | 70-79 | ||
| Discipline incidents* | 0 | 1-2 | 3 | 4-7 | more than 7 |
*Students with suspensions/expulsions or DAEP/JJAEP placements will not be considered.
Waitlist
If no space is available or the student receives a score from 10–14 during the screening process, the applicant will be placed on the waitlist in order of the date and time stamp of their application submission.
Denial
Reasons for denial of application include:
- Failure to meet the district’s criteria for the Open Enrollment Out-of-District Transfer program
- History of poor attendance, late arrivals, late pick-ups, and/or disciplinary infractions
- Falsification of information on the application and/or related documents
- Failing grades
- Limited space availability
- Limited campus staffing
Approval and school placement
Once identified as eligible for transfer, a student will be entered in the choice system to be considered for available seats at their choice of schools.
Seats will be offered for admission based on space and program availability, upon meeting all required criteria, and in order of position on the waitlist.
Beyond elementary
Placement after the 5th grade will continue to be determined by GISD administration based on seat/space availability and may not necessarily follow the district’s stated feeder pattern.
Transportation
Accepted students must provide their own transportation to and from school.
UIL participation
Participation in UIL activities shall be in accordance with all applicable UIL rules and regulations.
Revocation
How and why a student's Open Enrollment Out-of-District Transfer program approval could be revoked.
Reasons for revocation at end of the school year
- Repeated failures to abide by the rules specified in the GISD Student Code of Conduct.
- The student commits a disciplinary infraction that mandates removal to the DAEP or JJAEP.
- A documented pattern of late arrivals, late pick-ups, and/or poor attendance.
- A lack of parental support of Open Enrollment program procedures and/or campus policies, practices, or regulations, including any tutoring assistance offered by the campus.
- Incidents of falsification of information.
- A failure to meet the Open Enrollment program criteria each year.
Procedures for revoking an Open Enrollment Out-of-District Transfer program designation
- A campus administrator must present reason(s) for recommended revocation to the designee in central administration.
- A campus administrator must hold a conference with the parent and inform the parent of the revocation and the reason(s) for the revocation.
- The revocation will result in immediate and permanent expulsion from the Open Enrollment program.
Contact us
For more information about enrollment, contact: