Admission Requirements

Listed below are the admission requirements for students enrolling in Albemarle County Public Schools. For any questions about admission requirements or required forms, please call (434) 296-5820.

School Admission Standards for Residents

Refer to School Board Policy JEC, School Admission, Section I (“Resident”), to determine eligibility for admission to Albemarle County Public Schools on a non-tuition basis.

Every registrant MUST:

  • Reach his/her fifth birthday on or before September 30th of the school year*
  • Not reach his/her 20th birthday on or before August 1st of the school year
  • Reside in Albemarle County or be eligible for admission under School Board Policy JECA, Admission of Homeless Children, or meet the nonresidency admission standards addressed below

* The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children allows for children covered under the compact to continue in their current grade level (including kindergarten) if the student began their enrollment in that grade level in another state where the minimum age was lower than required under Virginia law.

School Admission Standards for Nonresidents

Refer to School Board Policy JEC, School Admission, Section II (“Nonresident”) and Section III (“Nonresident Students of Albemarle County Employees”), to determine eligibility for admission to Albemarle County Public Schools on a tuition or non-tuition basis.

Acceptable Conditions for Admission of Nonresidents

  • A student whose parent/guardian moves from the county after the end of the first semester may be permitted to complete the school year in his/her current school with no tuition charge.
  • A child whose parent/guardian plans to move to the county after the school year begins and who will reside in the county for the majority of the school year may be permitted to begin the school year in an Albemarle County public school (documentation required). Tuition will be charged and held in escrow for the time the parent lives outside the Division and refunded if the parent moves into Albemarle County during the school year.
  • A senior whose parent/guardian moves from the county after the end of the first semester of the student’s junior year may be permitted to complete his/her final year in the last high school attended with the payment of tuition.
  • A student participating in a foreign exchange program approved by the School Board may attend school in Albemarle County so long as he/she is living with a resident host family.
  • A child whose parent/guardian is employed full-time by Albemarle County Public Schools, CATEC, or certain Albemarle County Local Government departments may be admitted on a half-tuition basis.

Procedure for Admission of Nonresident Students

For Albemarle County employees ONLY (paid by the Albemarle County Payroll Department)

Per policy, the eligible child’s parent/guardian must apply for admission by completing a school division application. Applications will be considered on an individual basis and in the order in which they are received, and approval will be contingent upon the availability of class openings and/or services.

Please contact ACPS at (434) 296-5820 to obtain an application, or if you have questions about enrollment requirements, school admission, or tuition.

Admission of Homeless Children

The Albemarle County School Board is committed to educating homeless children and youth. Homeless children and youth shall not be stigmatized or segregated on the basis of their status as homeless. For more information, refer to School Board Policy JECA, Admission of Homeless Children.

Students who, due to a lack of permanent housing, live in inadequate or temporary settings meet the criteria for the McKinney-Vento definition of homelessness and have special educational rights. Such settings include:

  • Emergency or transitional shelters
  • Motels, hotels, or campgrounds
  • Cars, parks, public places, or abandoned buildings
  • Doubled up with relatives or friends

For assistance registering a homeless child, or for access to helpful resources, contact the Albemarle County Families in Crisis Program in the Adult, Migrant and Homeless Education Office at (434) 296-3872.

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