RCSD School of Choice Lottery starts Monday

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester City School District announced that its lottery for school choice will be only online this year.

The lottery is for students going into kindergarten, 7th grade, or 9th grade to rank their top five school preferences for the upcoming 2023-2024 academic year. Families who don’t participate in the lottery will have their children placed in the school closest to home.

The lottery opens on Monday, December 5 and it’s open until February 14. You can access it on the RCSD website.

After a student is registered with RCSD, they will receive a student ID number and become eligible to begin the school choice and student enrollment process. To register, you can contact the Office of Student Equity and Placement for assistance at 585-262-8241.

Families who need help applying can home to the Central Office at 131 West Broad Street. Here is how to complete the School of Choice lottery:

1. Parents registering for elementary schools need to know which school zone they live in before exploring school options. Families can only apply for a school within their zone and/or one citywide offering. A citywide offering is a school open to families regardless of zone boundaries. The District has five citywide schools: Dr. Walter Cooper Academy School No. 10, The Children’s School of Rochester No. 15, Montessori Academy School No. 53, World of Inquiry School No. 58, and Joseph C. Wilson Foundation Academy. 
2. Once families have explored options, they are asked to rank their top five school selections.
3. Complete an online application.