For the 2021-22 secondary options and neighborhood transfers application process, there will be two separate application timelines for middles school option programs and neighborhood transfers, as follows:
- Middle School Options: Families interested in attending an option school or program will be able to apply between Nov. 2, 2020 – Jan. 15, 2021.
- Neighborhood Transfers: After the Superintendent’s Annual Update on enrollment is published in January, the availability of neighborhood transfers will be shared with families. If there is availability for neighborhood transfers, families will be able to apply between Feb. 22, 2021 – March 15, 2021.
All options and transfers applications are available through the online application portal. Additional information on the application timeline and process is available on the options and transfers webpage.
Middle School Options
The following provides more information about the application process and the allocation of slots for each option program:
- Dual Language Immersion Program at Gunston Middle School – Students currently enrolled in the APS elementary Spanish Immersion programs will complete an Intent-to-Return form through their school. They do not need to submit an application through the online portal. Students not currently in an APS immersion program will need to apply and meet the language requirements for acceptance into the middle school program.
- Montessori Program at Gunston Middle School – Students currently enrolled in the APS Montessori program will complete an Intent-to-Return form through the Montessori Public School of Arlington. They do not need to submit an application through the online portal. Students entering this program from outside APS will need to meet Montessori experience requirements for acceptance into the middle school program.
- H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program – Under APS options and transfers procedures, slots in the sixth-grade class at H-B Woodlawn will be assigned based on the size of fifth-grade cohorts in each elementary school, including option schools, and based on the number of students who were not previously enrolled in APS who applied to the program. Students currently in grades 7-8 interested in attending H-B Woodlawn for the 2021-22 school year will need to complete a new Secondary School Options Application because the current waitlist will not carry over for the new 2021-22 application period.
H-B Woodlawn Slot Allocations
A total of 75 sixth-grade H-B Woodlawn slots are available for the 2021-22 school year. When applying for H-B Woodlawn, families must apply based on the neighborhood school or option school/program their child currently attends. If their child is not currently enrolled in APS, they must apply under the “outside of APS” allotment. As offers for slots at H-B Woodlawn are accepted and/or declined, offers are made to the next student on the sixth-grade waitlist under the same school/program allotment.
The H-B Woodlawn slot allocation for each elementary school is as follows:
| School Name | Slots | School Name | Slots |
| Abingdon | 4 | Hoffman-Boston | 2 |
| Arlington Science Focus | 4 | Jamestown | 3 |
| Arlington Traditional | 3 | Key | 4 |
| Ashlawn | 4 | Long Branch | 3 |
| Barcroft | 3 | McKinley | 4 |
| Barrett | 2 | Montessori Public School of Arlington | 2 |
| Campbell | 2 | Nottingham | 3 |
| Carlin Springs | 3 | Oakridge | 3 |
| Claremont | 3 | Randolph | 3 |
| Discovery | 3 | Taylor | 4 |
| Drew | 2 | Tuckahoe | 3 |
| Fleet | 4 | Outside of APS | 1 |
| Glebe | 3 | TOTAL | 75 |
Neighborhood Transfers
Neighborhood transfers to all APS middle schools will be offered to the extent possible given financial constraints and capacity limits. The availability of middle school neighborhood transfers will be announced to families on Feb. 11, 2021. If there is availability for neighborhood transfers, families will be able to apply for a neighborhood transfer to another neighborhood middle school between Feb. 22, 2021 – March 15, 2021. Parents/guardians are responsible for transportation when a student accepts a transfer to another neighborhood school that is accepting transfers. If families are interested in requesting a neighborhood transfer upon availability, they must complete a middle school transfer application through the online application portal.
School Information Sessions
Following Middle School Information Night, each school will host a school-based virtual information to provide families the opportunity to meet the staff at the school, receive information about the school, and engage in a Q&A session. Visit the Middle School Information Sessions webpage for school information session details.
Contact Information
For additional information or questions about middle school options and transfers, please contact the APS Welcome Center at 703-228-8000 or schooloptions@apsva.us.
