8th to 9th Grade Transition

Information Night: November 29 & 30

• How to make your high school selection
• Important dates
• Questions & answers

Summary of Process

To more equitably serve students in our comprehensive high schools (Eisenhower and Davis), a balanced placement process is in place for incoming Freshmen (this year's 8th graders). 

Between the dates of December 11 - 15, 2023, students will work with their teachers, parents/guardians, and counselors to fill out a high school selection form. Students will access the form via their Skyward Student Account. On this form, students will indicate their first and second choice of where they want to attend high school (IKE, Davis, Stanton, or Yakima Online). Students will have the option to edit their selection until the form closes on December 15, 2023 at midnight. The high school placement decision will be shared with students on Friday, January 12, 2024.

Students who meet the description below will have guaranteed placement at one school or the other based on their specific educational or situational needs:

• siblings who will both be attending the same high school
• students with disabilities in self-contained classrooms
• students in the 'Newcomers' program (English learners who have received less than one year of instruction in U.S. schools)
• students identified as McKinney-Vento (a student who qualifies for homeless assistance services) 
• students in foster care
• students whose parent is a full-time employee at that school

All other students will be part of the following process:

If there are more students wanting to attend one high school, students who have selected that high school will be placed into a random placement process conducted by a 3rd party. High school and district staff, including the superintendent, will not have access to alter a student's placement.

The student's placement will continue throughout the student's high school experience.  This process follows Yakima School District Operational Policy 3131 (5.4) 5.4.1.

8th-grade students and their parents/guardians are invited to attend the in-person information night offerings.  Please see the dates, times, and details above.

If you have questions, please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section below and/or attend an informational night. If you still have questions, please visit our office of Student Enrollment Services at 104 N 4th Ave from 7:30 am - 4:30 pm on weekdays or call them at (509) 573-7021.

Frequently Asked Questions
 

Are parents or students filling out the electronic choice form December 11-15, 2023?

Students.  8th grade students will receive access to their choice form via their Skyward Student Account on December 11, 2023. They can fill out the form at school or at home with their parents/guardians December 11-15, 2023.  Students can change their answers on their form until the form closes on December 15, 2023 at midnight.

What are the timelines for this process?

December 11, 2023, high school choice forms will be open to 8th grade students.

December 15, 2023, high school choice forms are due.

January 12, 2024, high school placement letters will be emailed to students' school email accounts.

I am an out-of-district student that wants to attend a high school in Yakima. What are my options?

Visit YSD’s Admissions and Enrollment department during the open window for non-resident student enrollment from June 20 - July 1, 2024. Please bring the following documents from your previous enrollment: attendance, grades, discipline.

I’m requesting a transfer due to my student being bullied, what do I do?

Individual situations such as this are handled by the school’s administration and counselors on a case-by-case basis. Please share your concern with your child’s school administrator or guidance counselor or report it here.

If I call the Superintendent will he be able to help me with my request?

The superintendent will refer families to the office of Student Enrollment Services (509) 573-7021 and ask parents to follow any appeals processes should they choose to do so, in the timeline listed on the Yakima School District Operational Policy 3131 (5.4) 5.4.1

Can private school students apply to go to a specific YSD high school?

No. All in-district students attending 9th grade at YSD next year will follow the same enrollment and placement process. 

The student selection process will be handled by a third-party company to guarantee a fair and unbiased placement process.

Out-of-district students attending 9th grade at YSD next year will need to follow the transfer process and will be enrolled and placed after all in-district students have been enrolled and placed. 

I am a YSD employee who lives in-district. How are you handling placement of my incoming freshman?

If you are a full-time YSD, your incoming freshman can attend the high school of their choice.

Also, note that priority placement for siblings only applies to siblings who will both be attending the same high school at the same time.

Can I specify a particular program that is only offered at one high school in my choice form?

No. Student placement is based on the availability of space at a school, not based on specific programs offered at a high school. All YSD schools have excellent academic and extracurricular offerings.

I have an incoming freshman next year and a senior this year. Is this considered sibling placement?

No. Sibling placement only applies when both siblings are enrolled in a high school together. 

My friends tell me that one high school has more scholarships than the other three, is that true?

No. Scholarships are available to students at every YSD high school. Contact your school counselor for more details.
 

My child struggles with anxiety and depression and will need support at high school.

The social and emotional support services available for students who struggle with anxiety and depression are excellent at every YSD high school. Support can be accessed by contacting your school principal and/or counselor.

The district has significantly increased the number of student support staff and counselors at all middle and high schools in the last two years and will continue to add more over the next two years to best support our students and families.

Will any students automatically receive their first high school choice?

Yes. Some students will have guaranteed placement at a school based on their specific educational or situational needs. These situations include:

• siblings who will both be attending the same school
• students with disabilities in self-contained classrooms
• students in the Newcomers program (English learners who have received less than one year of instruction in U.S. schools)
• students identified as McKinney-Vento (a student who qualifies for homeless assistance services) 
• students in foster care
• students whose parent is a full-time employee at that school

If my school is different from the school of my close friends/cousins, can I transfer?

No. Efforts to balance the numbers of students at our high schools mean there will be a small number of students who will not attend their first school of choice. 

As a 10th grader now, will I be able to transfer schools in the 2024-25 school year?

No. Once a student is placed at Eisenhower or Davis high school as a freshman, that will be their high school through graduation, unless they choose to attend Stanton Academy or Yakima Online. Students always have the option to transfer to Stanton Academy or Yakima Online.

How can you guarantee that students will be placed fairly?

The student selection process will be handled by a third-party company to guarantee a fair, balanced, and unbiased placement process. 

Why is the district limiting the number of incoming freshmen at a high school?

The district is adding this additional step in the enrollment process as an effort to balance the two comprehensive high schools. Balancing enrollment ensures we provide students with the appropriate amount of teachers and support staff so that all students can be successful. Our comprehensive high schools are both designed for 2,400 students.