Transfers to Neighborhood Elementary Schools Accepting Transfers

Neighborhood Schools

Neighborhood schools have attendance areas established by the School Board. Every student is guaranteed admission to the elementary, middle and high school serving the attendance area in which the student lives.  Use the Boundary (Attendance Area) Locator to determine the neighborhood school your children will attend.

APS assesses the ability to provide neighborhood and targeted transfers for the upcoming school year annually.

Neighborhood Transfers

The Options and Transfer Policy J-5.3.31 allows for neighborhood transfers to the extent possible given financial constraints and capacity limits. Parents and guardians are responsible for transportation when the student accepts a transfer to another neighborhood school that is accepting transfers unless otherwise directed by the School Board as part of another decision.

Targeted Transfers

Targeted transfers are an alternative to boundary adjustments and allow students from specific school attendance zones or planning units to apply to transfer to a nearby school that has capacity for additional students. Targeted transfers are offered under the following conditions:

  • Schools offering targeted transfer share boundaries;
  • The number of transfers will be set based on projections for all schools involved;
  • Lotteries will be conducted if the number of applicants exceeds the number of seats available

Targeted Transfers for the 2023-24 School Year

The following elementary schools have space for additional students are therefore are accepting targeted transfers for the 2023-24 school year:

  • Abingdon to Dr. Charles R. Drew:
    • All Abingdon Planning Units.
    • Transportation is available from a hub stop to Dr. Charles R. Drew.
  • Glebe and Tuckahoe to Cardinal:
    • Glebe Planning Unit 16090 and Tuckahoe Planning Units 16050 & 16060
    • Transportation is not provided.
  • Arlington Science Focus to Innovation:
    • Arlington Science Focus Planning Units 23211, 24080, 24100, 24111 & 24120
    • Transportation is not provided
  • Hoffman-Boston to Fleet:
    • Hoffman-Boston Planning Units 46111, 48160 & 48180
    • Transportation is not provided

Planning Units: Planning units can be considered as defined neighborhood areas (see map). Every Arlington County residential address is part of a planning unit. To determine your planning unit, visit the Boundary (Attendance Area) Locator.

Applying for a Targeted Transfer

In order to be considered for a targeted transfer, families must submit an application online.

The following is the neighborhood transfer application process timeline:

Transfer Application Process Timeline: 

  • Feb. 20, 2023: transfer applications open
  • April 17: The online application closes at 4 p.m.
  • May 2 at 1 pm: If needed, a virtual lottery for the targeted neighborhood transfer applications will be held by the APS Welcome Center.
  • May 8: Families will be notified of their acceptance or placement on the waitlist.
  • May 19 by 11:59 pm: Families must confirm or decline.

Lottery and Waitlists

If the number of applications exceeds the available seats at any of the schools, APS will conduct an automated lottery to determine admission. Students who do not receive a slot through the lottery or apply after the lottery will be placed on the waitlist for that school.

Siblings

For siblings, families must submit a transfer application for each student. If a spot is received at the transfer school and the student enrolls at that school for the 2023-24 school year, that student is able to remain at that school through the fifth grade.

School Information Sessions

Schools will begin hosting information sessions the week of February 20 for families to share an overview of the school and to provide families the opportunity to meet the school’s staff, so visit the Elementary School Information Sessions webpage to view the session dates.

For additional information or questions, please contact the APS Welcome Center at 703-228-8000 (option 3) or schooloptions@apsva.us.