School zones are the reason many families choose a street before they choose a house. The district publishes a zoned school search and a registration page, and both depend on your address, which is why the order of operations matters: lease or contract first, address confirmation second, registration third.
Find the zoned school first
The district's Register for School page links to a search for your child's zoned school. Use it with the exact street address before you sign, because zone lines follow streets and not neighborhood names. The district's attendance zones can change over time, so recheck when you renew a lease or buy.
Registering a new student
Families who are new to the district, or returning after leaving it, use the New to District online registration. After completing the online application, you bring the required documents to your child's zoned school. Families with children already in the district use the Parent Portal to re-register or add a child.
- Personal identification for the parent or guardian, such as a valid driver's license or other picture ID, in your name.
- One document proving the child's age, such as a certified U.S. or foreign birth certificate, a consular report of birth abroad, or a state or county abstract or certification of live birth. The district does not accept photocopies.
- Immunization records. Incoming kindergarten students need current immunizations, as do new students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, and students entering seventh grade have additional requirements.
- Proof of address, covered below.
Proof of address
Documents accepted for proof of residency are at the principal's discretion. Examples the district lists include car insurance, car registration, a mortgage agreement, a pay stub, a rent receipt, a residence lease or sales contract, and a utility bill. Anything you bring must be dated within the previous 12 months.
If your only paper is a lease or sales contract for a future date, the school registers your child on the condition that you provide one more proof of address from the list within 30 days. That is the reason to set up utilities early; see setting up utilities. Families without housing documentation because of a temporary or homeless situation can contact the district's Children in Transition program.
School of Choice
School of Choice is the application process, formerly called the variance process, for attending a Washoe County public school outside your zone. Parents may apply to schools that have space and are not over capacity, during an application window each fall. The district publishes a School Availability Dashboard that is updated quarterly. Students with an approved placement only need to reapply when moving from elementary to middle school, middle to high school, or when requesting a different school.
A family that just moved within the last 30 days and wants a placement should contact the School of Choice office directly. The district's Student Enrollment and Records office is at 380 Edison Way in Reno and is open from 7 am to 3 pm on weekdays.
Timing the move around the school year
Many families schedule their move for summer so that the children start fresh in August, but a mid-year move is also routine. The moving with kids guide and the best time to move guide weigh the options, and a free in-home estimate helps you pick a date once you know the school start date.