Lotteries & Priority Order

Enrollment Lotteries and Priority Order

When a school receives more applications than it has space for, seats are assigned through a public random lottery. Students already enrolled at the school keep their seats and are not part of the lottery.

Each applicant is assigned to a priority group according to the school's admission rules. The lottery fills seats one group at a time, starting with Group 1. If seats remain after everyone in a group has been placed, the lottery moves to the next group. Within each group, order is decided by random drawing.

Families who are not offered a seat are placed on a waitlist in lottery order. If a seat opens, the school will contact the next family on the list. Some schools have additional waitlist rules, noted in their sections below.

District Elementary Schools: McNear, Grant, McKinley, and McDowell Elementary

1. Students currently enrolled at the school
2. Students who live in the school's neighborhood attendance area
3. Siblings of students currently enrolled at the school
4. Students who live within Petaluma City Schools boundaries
5. Children of current Petaluma City Schools employees
6. All other applicants

Penngrove Elementary Charter School

1. Students currently enrolled, including students from other schools served on the Penngrove campus
2. Students who live in the former Penngrove Elementary School attendance area
3. Siblings of students currently enrolled at the school
4. Children of Penngrove Elementary Charter School employees
5. Children of Petaluma City Schools employees
6. Students who live within the Petaluma Elementary or High School District boundaries
7. Nonresident students, as space allows

Valley Vista Public Waldorf Charter School

1. Siblings of students currently enrolled at the school. Siblings are children living in the same household who share at least one parent, stepparent, or guardian.
2. Children of school staff members
3. Students who live in the former Valley Vista attendance area
4. Children of Petaluma City Schools staff members
5. Students who live within the Petaluma Elementary or High School District boundaries
6. Students who live outside those boundaries but within California

Mary Collins at Cherry Valley Charter School

1. Siblings of students currently enrolled at the school
2. Children of school staff members
3. Students who live in the former MCCV attendance area
4. Students who live within Petaluma City Schools boundaries
5. Students who live outside Petaluma City Schools boundaries but have a Petaluma mailing address
6. Students who live outside Petaluma City Schools boundaries and do not have a Petaluma mailing address

Petaluma Accelerated Charter School

The PACS lottery is held at the school at a date and time chosen so all interested families can attend.

1. Siblings of students currently enrolled at the school
2. Students who previously attended McKinley Elementary in grades TK-6
3. Students who live in the McKinley Elementary attendance area
4. Students who live within Petaluma City Schools boundaries
5. Students who live outside Petaluma City Schools boundaries

Dual Language Immersion Academy Charter School

The DLI Academy lottery is held at the school at a date and time chosen so all interested families can attend.

1. Siblings of students currently enrolled at the school
2. Students who previously attended McDowell Elementary in grades TK-6
3. Students who live within Petaluma City Schools boundaries
4. Students who live outside Petaluma City Schools boundaries

Waitlist: Families not offered a seat will be placed on the waitlist. If a seat opens during the school year, the school will contact the next family on the list with a deadline and instructions for accepting. Families who decline an offered seat lose their place and move to the bottom of the list. A new waitlist is created each year after the lottery.