About BUSD: How School Assignment Works

last updated: May 20, 2024

The Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) assigns new K-8 students to schools based on the "zone" they live in. There are 3 zones in Berkeley -- roughly three parallel strips stretching from the hills to the bay. BUSD created these zones in order to balance schools socio-economically by including both affluent families who generally live in the hills, and middle-class and working-class families in the "flats". In each zone, there are 3-5 elementary schools and one middle school. To find out which zone you live in, look for the District Map on the BUSD website (note the map is frequently updated). For BPN reviews of each zone, see BUSD Zones on this website.

For elementary school (K-5) you may request your top three choices in your zone, but ultimately, BUSD decides which school you are assigned to, based on the census tract you live in (income, education level, etc.). Once your child is assigned to a school, you may request to be waitlisted at another school in your zone, but there is no guarantee, and placement from the waiting list often takes place after the beginning of the new school year. There is very little chance of attending a school outside your zone except in rare cases where your desired zone is under-enrolled. See parent discussions about this.

For middle school (6-8) your child will be assigned to the middle school in your zone.

For high school (9-12), all students attend Berkeley High School.

BUSD also operates a home study program for all grade levels Berkeley Independent Study and an alternative high school Berkeley Technology Academy. There are no charter schools in Berkeley.

Out-of-district transfers: Many Berkeley schools are over-enrolled so officially, BUSD accepts few transfers from other school districts. Unofficially, it is said that as many as 12% of BUSD students are from outside the district. However, this has changed since Covid, so check with BUSD enrollment for current status.

See Also: Berkeley Unified School District webpage ... BUSD: Enrollment & School Choice

17 parent questions ▼

3 parent reviews ▼

Parent Q&A

Select any title to view the full question and replies.

BUSD TK Round 2 Notification?
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Mar 27, 2025

Wondering when round 2 BUSD enrollees are notified of their school assignment. Our child would be in TK and we are in the Southeast zone. Grateful for any information and thank you!

Mar 27, 2025

No responses received.

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BUSD kindergarten school assignment letter
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Mar 19, 2025

Hello! Has anyone received their BUSD kindergarten school assignment letter in the mail for round 1 enrollment? I was told that they send it out in mid March but I have not received it yet. Thanks!

Mar 19, 2025

We also have not received ours.

Mar 23, 2025

I believe they were mailed on Friday - we received ours yesterday.

Mar 26, 2025

We received our assignment a couple of days ago, but believe they made a mistake.

Mar 26, 2025

We received ours on March 24. I hope it comes soon, the waiting is hard!

Mar 26, 2025

Finally received ours on Monday (3/24)

Mar 29, 2025

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School assignment when moving to Berkeley in the summer
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Feb 13, 2025

Hi all, my family is relocating to Berkeley this summer from the Peninsula. We've read as much as we could find about school zones and assignments. We're curious: For folks who moved to Berkeley over the summer (or late in the enrollment process), are you willing to share which elementary school you were assigned to? Are there schools that consistently have more capacity than others? Do you know of families whose kids were assigned to schools outside their zone? We're prepared for our child to go wherever she's assigned. We're just not sure what to expect. We're looking to move to either Westbrae/North Berkeley Bart area or South Berkeley. So, for example, if Malcolm X tends to get a lot of late enrollees or something, that's helpful to know. Admissions wasn't able to share any info. Thanks for any guidance!

Feb 13, 2025

Hi. I work in the district and my child attends a BUSD school. There’s not much insider information beyond what is on their website. You can begin your enrollment process as soon as you are actually living in Berkeley. Since you’ll be moving here in the summer, the main school assignments will already be done. There’s no way to plan for which school you’ll be assigned to because enrollment varies based on factors like siblings. So you’ll just have to rank your choices and hope for the best. They try to assign within zone first, and then outside zone. I’d really recommend ranking school in order of convenience— start time, proximity, commute, etc. Elementary school is pacing for a marathon. Good luck!

Feb 19, 2025

I wasn't in your exact position but have heard from many families in our neighborhood that were able to waitlist into the school they wanted if they didn't get assigned there originally. There is a lot of shifting around during the first few weeks of the school year. We are in the Northwest zone.

You shouldn't be assigned to a school outside your zone, but you can request one (we considered this since we are actually closest to one that's not in our zone). In this case you would just be prioritized behind all the families who are in that school's zone.

A few other things to consider: some schools have 8am and some have 9am start times, so try to pick one that works for your morning schedule; also living further away from a school might be a blessing in disguise if it gets you a spot on a bus. Kids can sit on the bus for over an hour in Berkeley, which is a long time for young kids... but on the other hand, free childcare, and I've heard the kids usually like it. We live too close to our school for a bus (<1.5 miles) and drop-offs are a pain. If you are considering afterschool care, this will not necessarily be at the same location as the school. Also you should not count on getting into the public aftercare, the waitlist is very long.

Feb 19, 2025

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Enrolling back in BUSD after a year away
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Jan 20, 2024

Our child went to a BUSD elementary school for K & 1st grade. We took a sabbatical year 2023-2024 to live in a different country and are planning to return to Berkeley in the summer and enroll our child in BUSD for 3rd grade. We really want him to be able to go back to his original BUSD elementary school (where he attended K & 1st grade) because he has had a hard time with the transition and has really missed his friends and teachers this year. However, BUSD asks everyone to re-enroll and go through the lottery again. I have a few questions and I'm looking for advice for anyone who has gone through a similar situation below:

1. We have proof of residency for our Berkeley home (since that's still our permanent home/address) but we will return to Berkeley only in the summer. Could we still apply for Round 1 (ends Feb 2nd) even though we technically won't be living in our Berkeley home at that time?

2. How do I make my case to BUSD to put him back in his original elementary school? Has anyone had any luck doing this?

Would also appreciate any other advice from anyone who has been though a similar situation. Thanks so much!

Jan 20, 2024

I can only answer #2 since I had a friend who went through this. You can’t. BUSD will not prioritize you. My friend did not get the same school when they returned … they had to get on the waitlist. The waitlist did eventually open up and their kids were able to return to the original school but it was about a month into the school year. It was a bit disruptive but in the end it worked out for them.

Jan 24, 2024

Hi,

1. I think you absolutely can use your permanent address to apply in round 1. They don't need to know you aren't technically living there right now. It is your permanent address and you have the proof you need for the application process.

2. The fact that BUSD schools are under-enrolled is in your favor. If you don't get the placement you want in round 1, keep trying. We moved here in 2017 and got the placement we wanted for our then 3rd grader two weeks into the school year (but before school started for our then 1st grader). It was less than ideal, but it all worked out.

Good luck and enjoy the rest of your sabbatical!

Jan 24, 2024

We have done this (and been in the same situation) and also have friends who have done this. They don't care what case you make. They won't prioritize his going back and you will go through the same lottery. You can submit in Feb as long as you still have another bill in your name-you need more than just the house if I recall.

As far as getting him back into the same school, it worked for us but we knew the principal well at the time and are not sure if that played a part. We also called the office very frequently and very nicely to check about the school assignment (we submitted over the summer, not in the usual Feb process). The people in the office are not helpful really but we were both kind and persistent.

Our friends who did the same thing were not as lucky and their child got sent to a totally different school. They worried about the adjustment and got on the waitlist and in the end their child adjusted and they stayed with the new school.

Jan 24, 2024

Hi there, we had a similar situation after spending a year abroad and returning summer of 2023. We also had our house in Berkeley and I tried to register both of my children in BUSD in early 2023 while living in the UK. When you complete the forms, they request transcripts from the school they are currently attending. Since you are not physically in Berkeley, they will not register you. They instructed me to register when we returned. I would just do it at the end of the school year. You still just complete it online, so I really didn’t need to physically be here. We were ultimately placed at a different school. Perhaps it will be different for you, but they didn’t seem to care that we had a long history with our former school. Best of luck, it will all work out and your child will have a wealth of experiences no matter where you land. Happy to answer any other questions if you want to contact me directly.

Jan 24, 2024

We went through a similar experience with our son a few years ago. He attended Sylvia Mendez for several years, left BUSD for a year, and then came back. When we re-enrolled in BUSD, we were told that we had to go through the lottery again to get a school assignment. After that, we could submit a letter to the district to request to go back to S. Mendez. If there was space in the school and the principal approved, then our request would go through. With the lottery, we were assigned Oxford. I actually had to go to Oxford to fill out all the school registration forms. Then I wrote a letter to the district to explain why my son would like to go back to S. Mendez. Established friendships was one of the main reasons. In the letter, I also noted that he received good grades on his report cards and his teachers commented positively about his behavior. (Basically, I was trying to show that my son was a good student, which I hope would increase the likelihood of our request being approved.) The whole process was somewhat stressful, but the district got back to us fairly quickly and approved our request within a week. I don't know if the district still follows the same procedure now. Best wishes to you and I hope things will work out for your family.

Jan 24, 2024
Try for Sylvia Mendez or pick Emerson/John Muir?
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Jan 8, 2024

Hi -

We are about to register for kindergarten. Emerson and John Muir are closest to us, but we wondered about trying the Spanish Immersion program at Sylvia Mendez. Our daughter and family are English-speaking. Does that make it very hard to get in? Are there other reasons to choose/not choose Sylvia Mendez? We'd love for her to learn Spanish - but could she do that in other ways? And we really want a diverse student body (we are a mixed race family - Black/white) and teachers if possible - do Emerson and John Muir have that?

Thanks in advance!

Jan 8, 2024

If you're not a heritage or native spanish speaking family, her chances of getting in are slim to none. That being said Emerson is amazing! We had silvia mendez as our first choice last year and ended up at Emerson and we absolutely love it. There is lots of diversity at Emerson and among the teaching staff. Ms Holmes the principal does an amazing job with the students and helping out for kids that are having a hard time adjusting to kindergarten like our child did. One thing to consider in terms of Emerson and John Muir is the start times. John Muir starts at 9am vs Emerson I believe starts at 8:15am. The john muir campus is beautiful but the later start time just didn't work for our schedules. Feel free to reach out if you have more questions.

Jan 10, 2024

Recommended:

Emerson Elementary School (BUSD)

It's true that there are very few spots for English-speaking kids in kindergarten at Sylvia Mendez every year. However, throwing your hat in the ring for Sylvia Mendez does not have any effect on your ranking at other schools. Because it's a district-wide magnet program, its lottery is separate. So, you can check the Sylvia Mendez box, and there's a tiny chance your child would get in, and if not, she'd be assigned just as if you'd never checked the box. Beyond that, I'd say go for whichever school is more convenient, either in proximity or start time.

Jan 10, 2024

Recommended:

Sylvia Mendez Elementary School

Hi there. We are currently at SM and love it. We have a family friend who are not POC and did not get into SM, but into Emerson and see their daughter is thriving there. My child is mixed (black and Mexican), but went to Spanish Immersion at EBI for 2 years. However, our neighbor who is Filipino and White w/no Spanish background got into SM. The way Two Way Immersion was explained to me is that SM is there to enrich the learning of children of color/children of the heritage. It is to have Native speakers (who know little English), to learn English from their peers and vice versa. Diversity at SM is amazing, I'd say 80% POC, which is amazing. Each classroom has 1/3 native speakers, 1/3 heritage speakers (children who have a background in Spanish, but it is their second language), and 1/3 English speakers only. I hope this is helpful in anyway.

Jan 10, 2024

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Sylvia Mendez Elementary School
Applying to middle school with new BUSD zoning
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Dec 31, 2023

Hi, BUSD rezoned the middle schools last year and my older one will be going to middle school in the next academic year. The one we are zoned for is the farthest way from us in terms of distance, and there may be conflict in drop-off/pick-up timings with my younger one. Has anyone here been part of the rezoning? If yes, do you know if there is flexibility in asking for a different middle school assignment or not? Thanks!

Dec 31, 2023

As with everything BUSD related, they are not flexible. You can get on a waitlist, but it’s no guarantee you’ll get a spot. Unfortunately, they don’t really care if the school you’re zoned for is close to you or not. - signed a BUSD parent of 15 years

Jan 3, 2024

My child just started middle school so was the first cohort of the new middle school rezoning. The district had said they were going to be super strict about zones. So, I was surprised during the application process when it asked me to rank my choices. My preference happened to be the one I was zoned for, but I know a few families who chose differently than their designated zone. One family was zoned for Longfellow but got into Willard. Another family never got off the waitlist for King and had to accept their zone assignment. A third family tried to choose Willard over Longfellow and were not able. Good luck with your decision. It seems worth ranking your nearby school first and accept that you may not get it. Also, many middle school kids take AC Transit to school, so there's that.

Jan 4, 2024
Does it matter when in “Round 1” you enroll in BUSD
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Dec 2, 2023

Hi everyone,

Im enrolling my son in TK for the fall when the first round of enrollment opens up January 8th. Im wondering if it makes a difference in your lottery school choice (whether you get your first choice or not) if you enroll on the first day it opens or if it’s the same chances of you apply any time within the “round”. Just wondering if I need to be hustling right after the holidays to get it together!

Dec 2, 2023

No it doesn't matter. It's a lottery, not first come first served. I didn't register on the first day and we got our first choice.

Dec 6, 2023

Doesn't matter! As long as it's before the Round 1 window closes, they all go into the lottery together.

Dec 6, 2023

Hi! It does not matter when during Round 1 you submit your application. As long as it is in by the deadline, you'll be processed by the district computer at the same time as the rest of the Round 1 applicants. Good luck!

Dec 6, 2023

After the first round, you get what is left over. For TK, there are only a few schools (3, I think). You would need to re-apply for KG again and in THAT school you will stay until the middle school.

Dec 6, 2023

I attended the elementary info session last weekend and asked this exact question. I was reassured by one of the people working at the BUSD admissions booth that it does NOT matter when in Round 1 you apply. A request on "opening day" is evaluated alongside requests that come in at the end of the round 1 window.

Dec 7, 2023
BUSD - if you move zones, can your student stay at their school?
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Sep 28, 2023

Hi,

Our family is hoping to buy a house (one day...?) in Berkeley, and we are looking at lots of different neighborhoods. Does anyone know:

1. If we live currently in Northern zone, but buy a house and move to a different zone, can our child stay in his current school for the rest of his elementary education?

2. If we moved out of Berkeley (to Oakland / Albany, etc) could our child finish out his school year in his current school?

Thanks!

Sep 28, 2023

Hi! If you move within Berkeley, your child can stay at their school for the rest of elementary. Middle school zones are slightly different from elementary school zones, by the way.

If you move out of Berkeley, you are supposed to get an inter-district transfer to continue in BUSD. However, I can't imagine they would kick your child out mid-year.

Oct 3, 2023

BUSD asks for residency info at the beginning of Elementary, Middle School, and High School only.

So your status would only change at those points unless you informed the district of your move.

Oct 4, 2023

Once your child is in a school that will remain their school until the next level if you move zones. So they would stay in Elementary or Middle that they start in. If you move from the district they likely would let your child stay through the school year.

Oct 4, 2023

1) no

2) yes

Oct 4, 2023
Moving to Berkeley next year; Timing for BAM & LEARNS
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Aug 11, 2023

My family and I plan to move back to our home state and live in Berkeley (after living in Minnesota for 10 years) and would love your insight on afterschool childcare in the city. I lived here prior to having my daughter so I only know it from the perspective of a child-less party animal :p

We plan to move back next Summer and hope to enroll our child in Berkeley Arts Magnet and also hope to be able to secure a spot in the LEARNS program. Our hope is to live within the zip code to make chances of acceptance better. What are the chances of being able to secure both this late in registration? Is BAM a hard-to-get-into school? Is LEARNS a highly sought after program with a long waitlist? Are there other schools that you recommend that might have a well-rounded curriculum of art and academics? Or even free/low-cost Montessori schools for elementary? In Saint Paul, our daughter is enrolled in a Montessori school funded by the public school system.

I understand that I would not be able to register her for any Berkeley elementary schools during the enrollment period until we can show proof of residency--which we would not be able to do until we secured housing. This means that we would most likely not be able to apply until we move and settle in--so estimating around July 2024.

Any advice or insight would be most appreciated.

Aug 11, 2023

Hi, if you’re absolutely set on BAM, study the zoning maps and make sure you purchase (or rent) in that zone. But also know that there are decent elementary schools in all the BUSD zones in Berkeley.

Aug 16, 2023

As you might suspect, July for applying to BUSD is late. The good news is that all of the Berkeley Elementary schools are well regarded, even if you do not get BAM. it will be tough to get a spot with LEARNS at that point, aftercare fills up quickly. You could try other city based aftercare programs; folks often choose the Live oak one, and I believe busing is available. You will only really know when you are ready to apply what is/isn't available. Good luck!

Aug 16, 2023

You will likely get a lot of replies that say the same thing, but here goes:

It's true that you can only apply for enrollment after you have moved. Elementary schools are assigned by lottery, based on what zone you live in, not zip code or proximity. If you are dead-set on BAM for some reason, you will need to move to the zone that feeds into BAM, and even then, it's up to a computer algorithm to assign schools. Since you are enrolling in the summer, you will be placed wherever there is room, and you won't be able to predict that. BAM isn't any more sought-after than any of the other schools, and all Berkeley schools are considered pretty great. You also can only get on the LEARNS waitlist after you have been accepted somewhere. The waitlist is very always very long, so it's best to have several backups in place.

Regarding Montessori schools, there are no charter schools in Berkeley. There are private Montessori schools, and if you think you might qualify for a scholarship, you can try applying for one. Best of luck with your move and enrollment.

Aug 16, 2023

Berkeley school assignment is not determined by zip code, but by school zone, so you'll want to look at the school zone map and choose a home in one of the two BAM zones (Central and Northwest). Even then there is no guarantee of admission--but they will try to assign you to one of the schools in your zone, so I'd look at the other schools and decide which zone you prefer to be in based on that (and based on middle school options). Enrolling in July will put you at the end of the list for all of the schools so you will need to be flexible, and it may just come down to which schools have space in your child's grade. Aftercare space is limited and difficult to get into at most schools (especially applying late) so you may need a Plan B for that. The earlier you can get a lease, the better. There is also a public Montessori charter school (Urban Montessori) in Oakland that is open to Berkeley residents, so that could be an option if you want to continue Montessori in some form. Their enrollment timeline may be more flexible. Good luck with the move!

Aug 16, 2023

The JCC is near BAM, and has a good after-school program with a lot of choices. There's some Jewish content, particularly on Fridays, but many of the children are from families with other faith traditions or no religion.) In the past they walked the children over, I'm not sure what is happening now in terms of transportation.

Aug 16, 2023

Recommended:

After School Programs in Berkeley

JCC East Bay After School in Berkeley

Even if you apply by the deadline you are not guaranteed to get your first choice. They assign kids to balance demographics and many people do not get the school they want. Applying late your chances will be even lower. All the BUSD schools are very similar - the difference is more about distance and start time. It is also quite difficult to buy or rent a home here so it might be a challenge to find something in your desired zone. In retrospect I wish we had moved to Albany where kids actually live walking distance from their school friends. My daughter is 10 and has zero friends within walking distance while her friend in Albany can just go meet up with her friends on her own and is much more independent. My daughter will also be going to middle school without any of her elementary friends due to the new middle school zoning rules. Regarding Learns - at my daughter's school it is much easier to get a spot in the older grades as most families have been able to make alternate plans by now. The program is extremely poorly run but still has long waitlists for the younger grades because there are so few options.

Aug 16, 2023

If I were you I'd stay in St. Paul! (I used to live there too.) Kidding aside, I suspect you will hear the same story from all who reply to your post: It is hard to get a spot in a BUSD LEARNS program. For reference, for two consecutive years (TK and K) we submitted enrollment materials to the district at the earliest possible date, registered for the LEARNS waitlist at the earliest possible date, and then registered for our assigned school at the earliest possible date (which you need to do before your are considered for a spot in LEARNS). We didn't get a spot either time. There are multiple factors that determine your eligibility, BUSD gives weight to things like household income, returning students, children of BUSD staff, sibling status. So those factors, should they apply to your situation, do improve your chances. But the bottom line is that demand for LEARNS far exceeds capacity. And applying for a spot so late in the game means that unless you meet the income-qualified criterion, I'd guess the probability of getting a spot approaches zero. I would recommend that you try and register for one of the City of Berkeley after school programs as soon as you can document residency in Berkeley. There are three of them, and depending on which one your child attends and where your child goes to school, BUSD will provide after school bus transportation to the site. Or, try and register for the program at the Berkeley JCC, or the New School. Both have relationships with BUSD and lots of families send their kids there. I wish you good luck.

Aug 16, 2023

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Berkeley LEARNS After School Program

BAM isn't actually an arts magnet anymore. It is a regular elementary school like any other in Berkeley. You get assigned the school by lottery within your zone. Your best bet would be to try and make it for round 2 of the lottery. If you don't make it then and you're willing to move partway through the school year that is another option. I don't think any particular elementary school is more sought after than the others except for Sylvia Mendez, which is Spanish immersion. LEARNS is very impacted. There are other options however. If you land at BAM one option nearby is the JCC and the New School. The City of Berkeley also runs programs at a variety of parks. The sign up for those are in June. Really, it doesn't matter much which elementary school you get into. I would base my decision on 1) start time 2) proximity to your residence 3) aftercare options (e.g. there are some small differences here at the different schools).

Aug 16, 2023

Recommended:

Berkeley Arts Magnet School (BAM)

Berkeley has a lottery system for the public schools based on zone. All of the schools follow essentially the same curriculum as a result and all of the elementary schools are great. As you mentioned in your post, you won't be able to register until you have proof of residency. If you don't end up in the central zone (where BAM is), the chances of getting placed at BAM out-of-zone are quite low. You can look up addresses for potential homes here, which will tell you which zones: https://www.berkeleyschools.net/admissions/find-your-busd-zone/. There is no way to know the chances of which school you will end up, especially if you enroll later. LEARNS is separate; people typically add their names to the waitlist in the spring and then find out a couple of weeks before school starts whether they got a spot. There are City of Berkeley aftercare programs as well.

Aug 16, 2023

We're just starting out at BAM with our Kindergartener so this is based on my whopping <1 year of experience learning about BUSD and after school, so just know that up front. :) First, because you lived here before, maybe you know this, but just in case you don't, BAM isn't actually a magnet school nor an arts specialty school; it used to be but they haven't changed the name. It's just a regular elementary school, although a great one! If you're looking for a public school with a strong arts program, Malcom X actually has a fantastic performing arts program that is integrated into many aspects of the curriculum for all grades. MX would have been our first choice if we didn't live so far away.

Secondly, I wouldn't assume that living in the same neighborhood as the school will make your chances of acceptance better. Berkeley schools are a lottery system for each zone (make sure you choose a residence in the Northwest or Central Zone to be eligible for BAM) in which you rank your preferred schools, and supposedly ~75-80% of people get their top choice after the first round in Feb/March. The district tries to create diversity in each school, so you're not necessarily more likely to get into a school just because you live close. Also note that if you live farther than 1.5 miles from the school, you're eligible for bussing if your kiddo is interested in taking the bus (which can be a form of free childcare before school starts, which for BAM is 9am...). More info about zones and street lookup here: https://www.berkeleyschools.net/admissions/find-your-busd-zone/

BAM is a great school so I do think a lot of people want to get in, but truly all schools in Berkeley are great so I don't know that there's a ton of validity to which are the best. In general I feel like most people want to go to the school closest to them so that typically determines how desirable a school is for an individual family.

LEARNS is tough to get into, especially if you apply late, but we applied as soon as it opened and still didn't get a spot. Supposedly spots can open up throughout the fall if they hire more staff, so I've been told our kid will probably get in eventually but for now we've enrolled her at the JCC which provides a "walking bus" from BAM each day. We've heard great things about their afterschool program (art, outdoor play, game room, help with homework, library, etc) and were impressed when we had our orientation last week. It's more expensive than LEARNS and some of the afterschool programs offered by the city, but logistically easier because of the walking bus and not needing to re-register every couple of months like the city programs. I know there are other afterschool programs through The New School and others but I don't know much about that. It's not easy figuring it all out!

Hope some of this helps. Best of luck!!

Aug 16, 2023

I don't know how it is for BAM but for Emerson where our daughter goes, it was a lottery for LEARNS and a bunch of kids didn't get in. We're doing an aftercare program called Kids in Motion because it was like the only option left for us. I think we had to submit all our paperwork in late march. If you wait till july you're going to be at the mercy of whatever schools in your zone have spots and mostly likely a waitlist for BAM and LEARNS. The nice thing about Berkeley is all the elementary school are pretty great so it's not like there are bad options, just different ones.

Aug 16, 2023

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Berkeley LEARNS After School Program

Lots of folks commented on BAM and LEARNS but I wanted to add that JCC is very expensive and fills fast. The City of Berkeley runs great affordable after school programs. Our was at Francis Albrier. They had dance and other great programs and they could get on the school bus after school to go there!

Aug 23, 2023
Experience moving to Berkeley/Oakland School districts mid-summer
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Mar 3, 2023

Hello,

This is my first post because I am soon hoping to be a true "Berkeley" parent. We are looking to move to the East Bay this summer, with our child who will enter kindergarten in the Fall. Has anyone had experience moving to Berkeley mid-summer and figuring out school allocations? Do we risk not only lack of choice but also no spot in our immediate vicinity (which is TBD; looking for realtors too!)? Any tips/deadlines/school recs would be much appreciated.

Happy weekend,

Mallika

Mar 3, 2023

For BUSD, you don't really get to choose. You rank your schools in your zone and then it's a lottery. BUSD assigns schools in the spring, so you'll miss it. You just have to wait to move to Berkeley and then apply with your local address. If there's room in a school in your zone, they'll place you there. It's possible you'll get a school outside your zone, but BUSD buses kids who are at least a mile from the school. You can get on waiting lists, but they don't really move and most people just stick with what they've been assigned. That said, all Berkeley elementary schools are pretty equal due to this lottery system. I'm in the northwest zone and all 4 elementary schools are amazing. It gets a little dicey in middle school and the high school is one big zoo.

Mar 8, 2023

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About BUSD: How School Assignment Works

For Berkeley, school sign ups begin in January and there are I think monthly sign up dates. Just because you are living close to a school does not mean that you are in the correct zone for that school. You might want to check a zone map when you are looking at houses. I live a block and a half from a school that is outside of my zone. Berkeley has recently redone the zones and some people are not happy about it. I'm not sure how they are handling transfers in actuality, but they indicated that they would be pretty strict about it and offer buses instead.

Mar 8, 2023

Recommended:

About BUSD: How School Assignment Works

Welcome to Berkeley! You will be able to enroll your child into BUSD only after you have officially moved and have a Berkeley address. You will not be in the first round of elementary school assignments, or perhaps even the second round. Even current residents in the first round don't necessarily get spots at their nearest school-- the district does not assign schools by proximity. You rank your choices within your elementary school zone, and they assign you wherever there is room. If you are really set on your nearest school, you can try putting your child on a waitlist if they get assigned elsewhere, but sometimes it is in the first couple weeks of school that the waitlist moves. All of the schools are good though. Best wishes!

Mar 8, 2023

Recommended:

About BUSD: How School Assignment Works
Sylvia Mendez/BUSD admission question
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Mar 3, 2023

We are in round 1 of BUSD admission. We are hoping to get into Sylvia Mendez. My daughter has gone to EBI for 2 years for PK. Wondering if anyone knows how it will work? When I went to the informational night, it said that they would determine if they need to be assessed, and they would call us for an interview, but we never received a call. Has anyone had luck getting into the school without having an assessment? When I asked BUSD admissions, they gave me a generic answer. Any advice/success getting in the school would be appreciated

Mar 3, 2023

Hi, I am posting as I’m interested in learning more for when we apply for my child next year, we are in EBI also and interested in Sylvia Mendez. Thanks for the question.

Mar 8, 2023

I read this Two Way Immersion enrollment policy from BUSD's website, and I'm guessing (but could be wrong) that if neither parent is a Spanish speaker and you listed English as the main language spoken in your home in the Home Language Survey you filled out to apply for schools, your child would be categorized as an "English speaker" vs. "Spanish speaking English language learner" or "Spanish language heritage speaker." If that's the case, there wouldn't be an assessment. If that's not the case, and your child falls in one of the other categories, then it would appear they would be given some other language assessments. The odds of getting into Sylvia Mendez coming from a non-Spanish speaking home are very tiny. I really wish there were more language immersion schools in BUSD, or just in general in the Bay Area.

Mar 14, 2023

UPDATE: We did indeed get Sylvia Mendez!! We are so happy.

Mar 22, 2023
Applying for Middle School During Summer
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Apr 12, 2022

We are moving to Berkeley this summer and our son will be starting middle school (6th grade) in the Fall. We would really like for him to be in a school in walking distance from home. So my question is, can any of you give advice on how late in the summer we can apply for a middle school and have a pretty good chance of him getting in, assuming we are actually in that school's district? Does this vary between King, Willard and Longfellow? I guess as a bonus question, it would be interesting to know if there's any chance of getting into an out-of-zone school if we apply during the summer (e.g., getting into Willard while living in the King zone or vice versa).

Also, am I right to think that any date between May 17 and June 14 would be equivalent (all in Round Three of the lottery), and then the chances are lower in the "ongoing" enrollment period after that and decrease further as more students request spots or sign onto waiting lists?

Thanks for any help you can give. Sorry this is so abstract. A more concrete version would be, "We expect to live in the Willard zone and would really like to enroll our son in Willard. How soon do we need to apply to have a reasonable chance of that working out (either immediately or via the waiting list)?"

I'd also love to hear about any specific experiences of applying for middle school over the summer, and how that worked out.

Thanks!

Apr 12, 2022

Just apply now or call the district. As far as I know (I have two kids at BHS), you get what you get in Berkeley. The district literally does not care if the school is in walking distance. If you aren't zoned for that school, you won't get it and the middle school zones are a bit weird. If you live in the Willard zone, you will not likely get a spot at King off the waiting list. The school is impacted and popular. I do know of one family who did get off the waitlist, several months into the school year and by that time, their child was already settled. But Willard is a great school. Just take that spot if it's offered. The perception is that King is better than Willard and it isn't (both of my kids went to King).

Apr 13, 2022

We did this in 2019 so things may have changed, but here's how it worked that year. Contrary to what we were told by admins in the BUSD office (and what some people online thought), as best I could tell most every student who applied at this time of year or later was sent to Longfellow. We were zoned for Williard and told that meant we would definitely get Williard but could try for others. That was not the case. We were told that Longfellow was opt-in only and not assigned if you had not requested it. That was not true for us. On the first day of school at Longfellow, they were trying to sort out about ~70 other late registered students and we were told they were all sent to Longfellow because enrollment was low. Obviously, all these last minute registrations created logistical challenges for the school, although they did mostly get it sorted out eventually. We waitlisted for Williard (and King) but were never offered another option.

I don't know if they have since made changes (many changes were discussed, but we have left BUSD and I don't know if any were implemented). And unfortunately, I don't know how you can avoid finding yourself in the same situation if they haven't made changes. But I would definitely register as soon as possible and not be confident that your child will be placed in your zoned school or your preferred school based on the registration process alone. Note that BUSD will refuse to register you if you tell them you are moving to the area and will say you must wait until you have actually moved there.

Apr 13, 2022
Advice on finding out BUSD lottery placement?
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Jul 16, 2020

We recently moved to Berkeley and have 5 yo twins starting kindergarten in the fall. We went through the second-round lottery but haven't been able to find out their school assignment, or even confirm that BUSD received our application materials and included them in the lottery. Any suggestions on how to follow up? We are sensitive to all of the demands on school administrators right now, but it would be helpful to know our school assignment so we can start thinking about joining a pod this fall.

Thanks!

Jul 16, 2020

I would send an email to Admissions [at] berkeley.edu to check on status. We submitted the required paperwork for round 3 and received a confirmation email within a week stating pre enrollment is Complete. We’re supposed to find out late July/early August.

Jul 22, 2020

Dear Hezzie,

I would send an e-mail to school secretaries/school admin assistant. I used it to check if my upcoming KG kid has all the documents in.

The names are listed under that of a principal for each school. There is a link to each of the schools from Berkeley USD website.

To get an e-mail address, you would have to use the school directory.

All Berkeley USD schools will be on-line at least until October, at least...

Jul 22, 2020
BUSD vs Private school notification dates in March
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Feb 24, 2020

Does anyone know when BUSD will notify us about what schools our kids are assigned for the 2020-2021 school year? We applied to and were accepted by one private school, and we have to let them know if we are accepting by mid-March. Both my husband and I have rather inflexible jobs (when it comes to hours), so we are quite nervous about our kids being assigned different schools (even twins get different schools, we were told) and/or late start schools.

Feb 24, 2020

BUSD kindergarten assignment letters go out mid-March. I'm trying to remember exactly when we got ours (it's been two years now) but I think it was somewhere like March 15-17. I remember fervently checking the mailbox every day. Best wishes!

Feb 26, 2020

Last two weeks of March

Feb 26, 2020

According to the BUSD website, you should hear in mid-March (https://www.berkeleyschools.net/departments/berkeley-school-admissions/enrollment-faq/) - they are not more specific than that. It is very unlikely your two kids will be assigned two different schools - while it does happen, it's very rare, especially if you met the initial enrollment deadline. Siblings are given priority. Also, late-start schools all have optional (paid) before-school care, so you should be able to drop-off early. And all BUSD elementary and middle-schools have afterschool programs, as well. Good luck with your decision!

Feb 26, 2020
Incredibly frustrated with BUSD - sexual assault victim
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Aug 16, 2019

My daughter came to live with me this summer. She was previously out of state with her other parent. What precipitated the relocation was her being the victim of sexual assault. I am currently in the process of developing a treatment plan for her with the Center for Child Protection at Oakland Children's Hospital, who were referred to me by Bay Area Women Against Rape. The crime is currently under active investigation. Given her current fragile psychological condition, as well as her unfamiliarity with navigating Berkeley, I believe it is crucial that she goes to school as close to home as possible; she has a pretty high level of anxiety at this point, and does suffer from trauma due to the assault. Her stepmother and myself are both teachers, and will not be able to drop her at school on the other side of the city due to our work hours, and I do not feel comfortable putting her on a bus, given her current state. However, BUSD is telling me the school close to us is full and they cannot put her in it due to union rules and told me I just need to get on the wait list, which I've done. But surely she is not the only student in BUSD who has a critical need to attend school close to home! Is there anyone out there who can suggest how to get around this madness? Thanks.

Aug 16, 2019

I would initiate the process of getting an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Students with "severe emotional disturbance" can be eligible for an IEP. It is a complicated process, but the excellent people at https://dredf.org/ can help you get started.

Aug 21, 2019

Some people register for public school, but then put their kids in private school. You might want to try keeping her home for a few days after school starts, and see if there are any openings at your preferred site. I understand the reasoning behind busing kids, but I do believe that there is value in neighborhood schools, especially in situations like this.

Aug 21, 2019

Hi, I hope you might find a solution. I don’t have an answer, but just wanted to say that likely a very high percentage of families want their child(ren) in the school closest to them, which of course BUSD can’t accommodate for everyone. I’m not sure how old your daughter is, but there are great after school programs (or clubs, if she’s in HS) at all the schools, which accommodate parent schedules, since not all of us are lucky enough to have one parent not working outside the home. I sincerely hope your daughter finds the support she needs, even if not at your closest Berkeley school.

Aug 21, 2019

Possibly contact DREDF (Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund). Anxiety or PTSD I believe would be disabilities, and the school or I think school district would have to provide accommodations. Maybe that could include going to the neighborhood school. I don't know enough to say how exactly this would work, but I think someone at DREDF could tell you. It's called a 504 plan (for kids with disabilities) when it is formalized. My kid has a 504 plan for other issues.

Aug 21, 2019

I have only dealt with OUSD, which was some time ago. A couple of times I appealed a placement decision for my child or my child's at risk friend. With the appeal I made it clear that the child was in therapy and attached a letter from the therapist that supported my statement of facts and needs. I think this made administrators realize that they would have liability issues if the student was place in inappropriate and unsafe situations. Hopefully you will receive responses from families currently dealing with BUSD.

Aug 21, 2019

Hello,

This is ridiculous especially since BUSD claims to be welcoming and family-friendly. Document how your daughter's anxiety manifests itself. Does she have extreme separation anxiety? Describe how a closer school location will enable your family to care for her and reduce the psychological trauma she is experiencing in writing via a BUSD Uniform Complaint. The form is here https://www.berkeleyschools.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Uniform-Complaint-Form-11.7.17-Fillable.pdf. Have professional health providers document her needs and submit with the form and to school admin. Retain a copy of everything. Most of all do not get boxed in with BUSD options. If you can homeschool or enroll in a public school charter just for the short term, it might be the less stressful option for your family. All the best.

Aug 21, 2019

I’m so sorry to hear about this. I am a social worker in special education at OUSD. I’m not familiar with exactly how things work in BUSD - and it would be hard to navigate in OUSD as well. But it does sound like your daughter might qualify for a 504 plan related to current mental heath issues that she’s experiencing due to the sexual assault. Even if she does qualify they don’t necessarily have to grant you the school you want, but they might be more willing to do so if you have a legal document like a 504 plan or IEP under your belt. The problem is it takes time to establish such a plan... I would start by contacting the district 504 coordinator and seeing if you can get a response.

Aug 22, 2019

I'm so sorry about what happened to your daughter. I hope she sees some relief from the treatment plan.

Is it possible for you to take FMLA leave for some time? She's gone through such a huge upheaval in the last couple months that I can imagine how much she needs you for extra support right now, especially as she's starting school. In terms of healing from trauma and adjusting to a completely new life (new primary caregiver, new home, new state, new school full of strangers), the bus ride is the least of your worries. If you do get her into the school close to your home, would she be walking herself there? And walking home to an empty house? Is she going to feel safe alone until one of you gets home? Speaking only from my own experience, I live with a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. If something activates their anxiety on the commute home (normal city commute stuff), they don't feel safe in our home, which we bought together and have lived in for years, and can't calm down until I get home from work too. I wonder if the bus ride would feel safer to her because she can sit near an adult in a more supervised environment than being alone.

As for navigating the wait list, all I can think is to try advocating for a spot higher up (that is, if you're sure that's the safest-feeling environment for her).

Aug 26, 2019

Request an IEP for SED in writing. That will start the timeline. Also see what the before/after school programs are like at the school where she's currently assigned. Some of them are quite good. I agree with the recommendation to contact DREDF, you can talk with a parent advocate there who can help your family through the process.

Aug 31, 2019

I am so sorry that you and your daughter are having to deal with this. A few ideas:

Until you can resolve getting her placed into your neighborhood school, maybe consider Berkeley Independent Study program or your daughter? I don't know if the timing would work for your family, but it might be a more calm, gentle way for her to transition back to school..... https://berkeleyindependentstudy.wordpress.com/

If you haven't already, pursue a 504 for your daughter. You may be able to get an IEP as well, but a 504 should be easier to establish quickly. The first step is to simply fill out a 504 request in writing. You may have to go straight to the district for this--the contact who can point you in the right direction there is:

James Wogan, LCSW

Manager, Student Services Berkeley Unified School District510.644.6316jameswogan [at] berkeley.net (jameswogan[at]berkeley[dot]net)
And don't be afraid to push for more than the standard "accommodations." You'll want doctors and therapists involved with diagnoses and medical recommendations. A lot of local therapists have deep insights/experience in navigating accommodations with the school district.

BUSD does a terrible job of supporting kids/families in mental health crises. I unfortunately know this from personal experience. It became a second job for me to petition for a 504 plan that would serve my child in the midst of a crisis. It was ridiculous and unnecessary and unduly stressful. This was at the high school level..... I think that if you are at the elementary school level, once you have your school assignment it would be easier to establish relationships and communication within a smaller school environment.

Sep 4, 2019
Is Claremont hills BUSD or OUSD?
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Jul 6, 2019

Hello all - I am planning to buy a home in Claremont hills with a Berkeley address but having a hard time finding out what schools are zoned for the neighborhood. I checked the BUSD website, but the street name there is not listed. Anyone here who lives in Claremont with elementary school age kids ? Also, my wife and I will both be commuting to SF. What’s the best transport option from there ? I have heard Transbay route E works best. Is that true ?

Jul 6, 2019

Check Oakland Unified's site--there are a number of homes in the Claremont hills that are actually in Oakland and are served by Oakland schools despite having Berkeley addresses, so if the street does not appear on the BUSD site, you are probably looking at one of these. (You can also tell by looking at the Alameda County Assessor's website--you will see either Oakland or Berkeley taxes listed for the property, except in some really unusual situations with split parcels.) The Oakland schools that serve Claremont-area homes are generally well regarded, although it is worth following the situation with Kaiser Elementary, which may move (which would likely lead to changes in the school zone boundaries).

Jul 7, 2019

Hi there,

We recently moved to a neighborhood close to yours. You’ll be in the South Berkeley zone, so your kid will be eligible to go to John Muir, Malcolm X, Emerson, and Le Conte/Sylvia Mendez.

Both of us work in the city but we’ve been using the Bart (we live mid way between Ashby and Rockridge stations, so we’re able to get into the Richmond or Pittsburg/Antioch lines. I don’t have experience with the Transbay network.

Hope this helps!

Rini

Jul 10, 2019

Call BUSD and OUSD registration. Provide the exact address and ask about zoning. The online maps can sometimes be misunderstood/incorrect. I know two families that looked at the online maps, and they were pretty upset to find out that their house wasn’t zoned the way they expected.

If possible, see if the school registrar can put your zoning in writing. I called to confirm my zoning, but it took a few weeks to get straightened out when I registered my kids for school. I didn’t think to try to get it in writing when I bought my house, but that would have saved me a bit of stress while things were getting sorted out.

Jul 10, 2019
BUSD Elementary school application advice (starting Kindergarten this Fall)
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Jan 14, 2019

Hi all, I am hoping to get advice on applying to a BUSD elementary school that is not within our zone. We live in the Central zone, and have five schools that are available to us, however some are quite far out to where we live (I don’t drive, and I will be doing the school run). On my tours, I have already talked to PTA about the bus service, however, we wont know how long the bus ride will take until we sign up (one parents who lives in the flats goes to Cragmont and the bus takes 1h 20mins).

I have two questions :

1/ Have any parents chosen a school out of their zone and and had offered? Or had a second choice school out of zone offered?

2/ Are there any tips to increase chances in getting your school choice? We are attending tours and also going to information nights, if offered by the school.

Any tips /advice is appreciated! Thank you.

Jan 14, 2019

There isn't anything you can do to increase your chances of a 1st choice school. But, you can get on the waitlist and be willing to switch your kid part way through the year to your 1st choice school.

I think some of this depends on what school you want to get into. We tried to switch our daughter all of her kindergarten year from a South Zone school to one of a few North Zone schools, because the other schools offered free busing to her aftercare program. The office told me that, in general, it is really hard to get into a North zone school. Last year, he said that the only option for us to switch was Craigmont, but with no bus option and a 9am start that didn't work for us.

Jan 16, 2019

I have been through this process a few years ago. We are the LAST house in the central zone. I have ranked the schools based on the distance from my house. If you choose the school out of your zone, you automatically waive your right for a school bus. We have people from our class who drive 25 minutes to Cragmont from the flats, because they are out of the zone. I was assigned to the 5th choice on my application...The next thing to do (preferable the SAME DAY) is to go on waiting lists of all the schools that you ranked higher and did not get. I did get into 2 schools that I was on a waiting list, out of 4. This being said, I met parents who like the school bus, because they get more time without children. 1h 20 min...we ARE at Cragmont and I am surprised by this number, it is rather high...

Jan 16, 2019

You can always appeal you don’t get your first choice- of which you have a 70% chance. And maybe through that process you can explain what a hardship it might be re: drop off etc. but do it quickly. You don’t want your kid to get acclimated to where she ends up only to Ben moved again.

Jan 16, 2019

RE:

Experience moving to Berkeley/Oakland School districts mid-summer (Mar 3, 2023)

Welcome to Berkeley! You will be able to enroll your child into BUSD only after you have officially moved and have a Berkeley address. You will not be in the first round of elementary school assignments, or perhaps even the second round. Even current residents in the first round don't necessarily get spots at their nearest school-- the district does not assign schools by proximity. You rank your choices within your elementary school zone, and they assign you wherever there is room. If you are really set on your nearest school, you can try putting your child on a waitlist if they get assigned elsewhere, but sometimes it is in the first couple weeks of school that the waitlist moves. All of the schools are good though. Best wishes!

Mar 8, 2023

Recommended:

About BUSD: How School Assignment Works

RE:

Experience moving to Berkeley/Oakland School districts mid-summer (Mar 3, 2023)

For Berkeley, school sign ups begin in January and there are I think monthly sign up dates. Just because you are living close to a school does not mean that you are in the correct zone for that school. You might want to check a zone map when you are looking at houses. I live a block and a half from a school that is outside of my zone. Berkeley has recently redone the zones and some people are not happy about it. I'm not sure how they are handling transfers in actuality, but they indicated that they would be pretty strict about it and offer buses instead.

Mar 8, 2023

Recommended:

About BUSD: How School Assignment Works

RE:

Experience moving to Berkeley/Oakland School districts mid-summer (Mar 3, 2023)

For BUSD, you don't really get to choose. You rank your schools in your zone and then it's a lottery. BUSD assigns schools in the spring, so you'll miss it. You just have to wait to move to Berkeley and then apply with your local address. If there's room in a school in your zone, they'll place you there. It's possible you'll get a school outside your zone, but BUSD buses kids who are at least a mile from the school. You can get on waiting lists, but they don't really move and most people just stick with what they've been assigned. That said, all Berkeley elementary schools are pretty equal due to this lottery system. I'm in the northwest zone and all 4 elementary schools are amazing. It gets a little dicey in middle school and the high school is one big zoo.

Mar 8, 2023

Recommended:

About BUSD: How School Assignment Works