Open Transfer - Frequently Asked Questions

• Bellevue School District resident students may apply to attend a school other than their attendance area school
• New nonresident students of eligible BSD employees may request an enrollment school for the upcoming school year.

No.  Please refer to Procedure 3120.1P, Criteria for consideration of Attendance Area Transfers. Once a student has been accepted through an Open Transfer, they may retain enrollment at the school and continue in the feeder pattern of that school.

• Initial Open Transfer placements: If space is available, students will be offered placement by grade level at the requested school by lottery number. (Applicants with priority will be moved to the top of each list, which include children of eligible BSD employees and those having sibling preference.)
• Additional placements (typically in late August but offers may occur in spring): Placements at this time may be to alleviate projected overcrowding at a school. In this case, students from the overcapacity school will be offered placement to their requested school without regard to their waitlist number.
  • Example: If Stevenson is overcrowded and district administrators decide to alleviate the overcrowding by placing some Stevenson students at Cherry Crest, Stevenson attendance area students from the Cherry Crest waitlist will be offered placement at Cherry Crest regardless of their position on the waitlist. 

Available space is determined by current or projected enrollment numbers, staffing levels, building capacity, and the educational needs of existing students at each school.

For an indication if a school will be accepting transfer students, please refer to Status of Schools for the upcoming school year.

This is an indication of projected available space in the individual schools.

The descriptions for school status are:  “Open,” “Limited,” and “Closed.”

• “Open” is based on the forecast. We expect some space at all grade levels. Although we will maximize opportunities for all students who wish to attend a requested school, this does not mean we will be able to admit all students who apply. We plan to have notifications out in February.
• “Limited” means there may be some opportunity at specific grade levels closer to the start of school as it will depend on the actual enrollment numbers and class sizes.  Notification will likely be made in August or September.
• “Closed” schools are unable to accept transfers. As a school’s enrollment numbers reach capacity, we will move them to a “Closed” status.

If selected through Open Transfer, your student will attend the new school beginning the first day of school for the upcoming school year.

You will be emailed next steps regarding the enrollment process. All students new to BSD must enroll within two weeks of accepting placement. You will be required to submit residency, immunization and age verification (kindergarten and 1st grade) documents during the enrollment process.

Visit the Enrollment Process webpage to learn more about the documents that are required when enrolling your student.

Review the Residency Checklist.

Failure to enroll within the time frame requested may result in the offer being rescinded.

Yes. You student is guaranteed to return and enroll at their attendance area school. If you have decided to cancel your approved open transfer placement, please email  studentplacement@bsd405.org as soon as this decision is made so that we can offer the spot to the next student on the waitlist and have accurate enrollment numbers. Be sure to include your student’s full name, grade and both schools involved.

We want to stress the importance that all students be in attendance the first day and week of the new school year.  Students accepted through Open Transfer MUST be in attendance at their new school on the day of the statewide enrollment count or the approved open transfer placement may be rescinded, and your student will be withdrawn and enrolled in their attendance area school.

The dates of the statewide enrollment count for the 2026-2027 school year are: 

• Tuesday, September 8, 2026, for grades 1 – 12  
• Friday, September 11, 2026 for kindergarten students

No. Transportation is the family’s responsibility for all elementary and middle school students. High school students will be given an ORCA card for Metro Transit.

When it is time to go to the next school level, students will automatically be enrolled in the approved school's feeder pattern (the elementary→middle→high school sequence of schools assigned by attendance area or approved transfer). 

• If they want to return to their attendance area school, they must contact Student Placement to cancel the approved transfer.
• If they want to request a school other than the two options above, they must apply through Open Transfer and request that school.

If your student is going to a new school in 9th grade, they will be able to participate in athletics as the new school will be their school of record. If your student is transferring to a new school in 10th, 11th or 12th grades, they may not be eligible to participate in varsity sports.  Please review the Washington Interscholastic Athletics Association (WIAA) guidelines for varsity eligibility.

If you have questions, please send an email to studentplacement@bsd405.org with specific information: student name, grade, school, address, etc. We will answer your question as soon as we are able.