Enrollment
Welcome to School District 197! All 2023-2024 enrollment forms are available below.
Our Enrollment Office is located at 1897 Delaware Ave., Mendota Heights, MN 55118, adjacent to Two Rivers High School at door number 20. Enrollment forms may be mailed, emailed or submitted in person. Required documentation is listed below under How to Enroll.
For questions on enrollment, please contact the enrollment coordinator at enrollment@isd197.org or 651-403-7030.
Kindergarten Registration
Couldn't make it to enrollment night on January 19? No problem! Email enrollment forms to enrollment@isd197.org, mail the forms to the Enrollment Office, or return the forms to the Enrollment Office in person.
Our current kindergarteners have some advice for you in the video below. We look forward to meeting you and your student soon!
Some Advice from our Kindergarteners
Enrollment Resources
- How to Enroll
- 2023-2024 Enrollment Forms
- 2022-2023 Resident Enrollment Forms
- Open Enrollment Information
- Intradistrict Transfer Information
- Class Sizes at School District 197
- What is a primary address?
- What is my child's resident district?
- What is my child's neighborhood school (school of attendance)?
How to Enroll
All enrollment forms are accessible multiple ways:
- In person at the Enrollment Office
- On our website under Enrollment Forms
- Via email
- Via U.S. Mail
When completed, email the forms to enrollment@isd197.org, mail the forms to the Enrollment Office, or return the forms to the Enrollment Office in person.
Please be prepared to provide the following documents to help complete your child's enrollment.
- Your child's birth certificate or another form of government-issued proof of age and date of birth
- Residency Verification: Please provide a document that shows the name and address of the parent/guardian or other person having legal custody of the student.
- Acceptable verification documents are: current purchase/lease agreement (signed and dated), current property tax statement, current student loan statement, current payroll statement, current bank statement
- Secondary Proof of Residency: current federal/state/county benefits statement, current healthcare bill, current major utility bill (Xcel Energy or water bill), confirmation letter of change of address with USPS
- Not Accepted for Proof of Residency: updated driver’s license, cell phone bills, cable bills, sanitation bills, department store/credit card bills
- A copy of your child's immunization records
2023-2024 Enrollment Forms
2022-2023 Resident Enrollment Forms
Open Enrollment Information
Students who are not a resident of School District 197 but wish to attend a School District 197 school may open enroll in the district. Open enrollment covers the student's entire education years in School District 197 unless the student leaves the district. As a desegregation district, School District 197 accepts open enrollment applications at any time throughout the year.
To apply for open enrollment please use one of the following links:
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For English, CLICK HERE
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For Spanish, CLICK HERE
You will also need to submit the Statewide Enrollment Options Application (the open enrollment form), included in the link below titled “Open Enrollment Links & Forms”.
After each phase has closed, you will be notified of a placement decision via letter as quickly as possible.
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Phase 1: November 1, 2022-December 23, 2022
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Phase 2: December 24, 2022-January 31, 2023
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Phase 3: February 1, 2023-March 10, 2023
In addition to the open enrollment form, if your request is approved, you will need to submit a School District 197 enrollment packet to complete the process. Please submit the completed packet, no later than 45 days after your approval or your spot will be forfeited and you will need to re-apply for enrollment.
Intradistrict Transfer Information
School District 197 is proud to offer a wide range of school options for families. While we encourage parents to enroll their child at their neighborhood elementary or middle school, we know families may wish to attend a school other than the one in their attendance area, such as one of our magnet schools. If you are a resident of School District 197 and would like your child(ren) to attend a school other than your neighborhood school, you must request an intradistrict transfer. This transfer must be requested prior to the year in which enrollment is requested.
Intradistrict transfers for the 2023-2024 school year can be requested starting on November 1, 2022.
To apply for an Intradistrict Transfer please use one of the following links:
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For English, CLICK HERE
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For Spanish, CLICK HERE
After each phase has closed, you will be notified of a placement decision via letter as quickly as possible.
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Phase 1: November 1, 2022-December 23, 2022
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Phase 2: December 24, 2022-January 31, 2023
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Phase 3: February 1, 2023-March 10, 2023
Please note: This process does not apply to existing transfers (resident students currently in grades K-3 or 5-7 who are attending schools outside of their attendance area and continuing at that school in 2023-2024). No additional paperwork is needed for these students. Siblings of existing transfers who are entering kindergarten or grade 5 and also looking to attend schools outside their attendance area in 2023-2024 must complete a transfer form.
If you are unsure if you are a resident of School District 197, please click here.
If you have questions regarding the intradistrict transfer process, please call the enrollment coordinator at enrollment@isd197.org or 651-403-7030.
Questions & Answers
- What is an intradistrict transfer?
- Who should complete a transfer request form?
- How do I request an intradistrict transfer?
- How will I know the transfer request has been submitted?
- What if I do not have access to the Internet?
- When can I submit a transfer request?
- Who decides whether my transfer request is approved, and how is it decided?
- When will I know if my transfer request has been approved?
- My student is already attending a school on an intradistrict transfer. Do I need to reapply? And, do I need to reapply every year?
- Can I request a transfer after May 19 or during the school year?
- If an intradistrict transfer is approved for my student, is transportation available?
- I do not live in the school district. Should I use the intradistrict transfer site?
What is an intradistrict transfer?
An intradistrict transfer is used when resident families would like their child to attend a school other than their neighborhood school. This includes students in grades K-8 and includes incoming kindergartners (those students entering kindergarten in September 2023). Non-resident students entering grade 5 who would like to attend a middle school other than the one designated by attendance area of the elementary school they currently attend will need to complete an intradistrict transfer. Intradistrict transfer requests also need to be completed by non-resident students entering grades 1-4 or 6-8 who would like to attend a school other than the one they currently attend.
Who should complete a transfer request form?
Complete a transfer request form if your child is:
- A resident student entering kindergarten and you would like them to attend a District 197 elementary school other than the one in your attendance area for 2023-24.
- A resident student entering 5th grade and you would like them to attend a District 197 middle school other than the one in your attendance area (based on your home address, not the elementary school you are currently attending) for 2023-24.
- A non-resident student entering 5th grade and you would like them to attend a District 197 middle school other than the one in your attendance area (based on the elementary school currently attending) for 2023-24.
- A resident or non-resident student who is enrolled in District 197 in 2022-23, entering grades 1-4 or 6-8 and you would like them to attend a district elementary or middle school other than the one they attended in 2022-23 or one that is outside your attendance area for 2023-24.
- Complete a transfer request form for each child applying to enroll in a non-attendance area school.
School District 197 only allows you to select one preferred school choice at a time. If your request is not approved, it will be placed on a hold list and reviewed again during the next review period. If you choose to change your preferred choice to another school, you will need to submit a new request. By doing so, you will lose your current place in line with your previous request. At any point in the process, you may withdraw your request and attend your home attendance boundary school.
How do I request an intradistrict transfer?
Families submit an intradistrict transfer request online. An online request system makes it easier for families to request a transfer and enables a school to more effectively manage enrollment and balance school and class sizes.
How will I know the transfer request has been submitted?
Upon submitting the request, you should receive an email confirming receipt of your request. If you do not receive a confirmation email, contact the enrollment coordinator at 651-403-7030.
What if I do not have access to the Internet?
Families may request a paper copy at any elementary or middle school office and return a completed copy to that office. Forms are also available in Spanish. Please contact any school office for language support.
When can I submit a transfer request?
Transfer requests can be submitted during four periods between November 4, 2022 and May 19, 2023 for the 2023-24 school year.
- Phase 1: November 1, 2022-December 31, 2022
- Phase 2: January 1, 2023-February 24, 2023
- Phase 3: February 25, 2023-April 7, 2023
- Phase 4: April 8, 2023-May 19, 2023
Intradistrict transfer requests will not be accepted after May 19, 2023. This will enable the school to plan the school schedule and manage class sizes well in advance of the school year, ensuring a smooth start for all students.
Who decides whether my transfer request is approved, and how is it decided?
School and district administration will meet to determine how many transfers are possible. Students who meet the following criteria will be given priority placement in the order below:
- Students who will be moving to a different attendance area in the fall and want to stay at the current school.
- Siblings in a Level III District special education program at the site.
- Siblings of students enrolled at the site for the upcoming year.
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Student is currently open enrolled at Garlough, Moreland, or Somerset and was placed at Friendly Hills through the lottery.
- Children of individuals employed at the site.
- Children attending childcare in the attendance area.
- Interest in a magnet theme.
- Other circumstances
If the number of requests exceeds the number of seats available, the requests will be granted using a lottery system. Students not transferred will be put on a waiting list in hopes that room may open up in subsequent transfer periods.
However, when a school or a grade at a school eventually reaches capacity, no further transfers will be possible.
When will I know if my transfer request has been approved?
Once the request period has closed, families can expect to be notified within two weeks whether their transfer has been accepted, denied, or put on hold. All notifications will be sent by US Mail.
My student is already attending a school on an intradistrict transfer. Do I need to reapply? And, do I need to reapply every year?
The default assignment for resident students is to their attendance boundary school. Families of 4th grade students will receive a letter in the fall indicating their student’s assigned school along with information about how to apply for a transfer. Reapplication each year is not necessary. Once you are enrolled into the school you will not need to reapply for that student until the transfer to the next school that is grade appropriate.
Can I request a transfer after May or during the school year?
No. All requests must be submitted within the established timelines. Again, this will help to ensure class sizes are managed well and decisions are made well in advance for families.
If an intradistrict transfer is approved for my student, is transportation available?
Yes, transportation is available but must be requested. Please keep in mind that, depending on which school your student will be transported to, some bus routes could be as long as 45 minutes to 1 hour.
I do not live in the school district snf currently have a student enrolled. Should I use the intradistrict transfer site?
If you are a non-resident family and your child is entering grade 5 and would like to attend middle school outside of the designated attendance area of the elementary school they currently attend, you should the intradistrict transfer site. If you are unsure of what school your open enrolled student is assigned to, please contact the enrollment coordinator at 651-403-7030.
Class Sizes at School District 197
School Board Approved Class Size Parameters:
Elementary: (90% of classrooms will fall within the following ranges)
Kindergarten: 18-25 students per classroom (district average 21.5)
1st-2nd Grades: 20-27 students per classroom (district avg. 23.5)
3rd-4th Grades: 22-29 students per classroom (district avg. 25.0)
Middle School: (75% of classrooms will not exceed the following)
Core Programs (Science, Soc. Studies, Lang. Arts, Math) 31 students
Non-Core (Music, Art, Phy. Ed., FACS, Tech. Ed., World Lang.) Variable
High School: (75% of classrooms will not exceed the following)
Core Programs: 33 students (Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Math)
Non-Core: Variable (Music, Art, Phy. Ed., FACS, Tech. Ed., World Lang.)
What is a primary address?
The primary address of a student is used to determine the student’s resident district and designated attendance area school if the student is a resident of School District 197. The address of the biological/adoptive parent or other person having court appointed legal custody of the student is considered the student’s primary address, regardless of where the student physically lives.
What is my child's resident district?
To determine your student’s resident district, click here. If the student’s resident district is not School District 197, the student does not have an assigned attendance area school, but may open enroll in any School District 197 school.
What is my child's neighborhood school (school of attendance)?
Each school has an attendance area that determines which resident students are assigned to that school. An attendance area is a geographic area surrounding the school that optimizes the enrollment at each neighborhood school. To find our your child's school of attendance, click here.
STAFF
Reina Ferguson
Enrollment Coordinator
651-403-7030
| enrollment@isd197.org