Denver Public Schools has moved up their School Choice window to Dec. 2, 2025 at 10 a.m. and it will close on Jan. 20, 2026 at 4 p.m. This is about a month earlier than past year's School Choice window.

 

We encourage all of our families to complete School Choice.  If your Kindergarten through 4th grade student is planning to stay at Park Hill there is an option for parents to select that they ‘Intend to Enroll’ with their current school and they will be added to our rolls for next year.  While this process is optional, it does help us with projections so we can maintain optimal classroom sizes.

 

Families with new students to DPS, incoming ECE-4 & Kindergarten students, those looking to apply to other elementary schools, or those with students continuing on to middle school or high school should all complete the full School Choice application.  If you live within the boundaries of PHE, we guarantee a spot at Park Hill during the first round of School Choice for Kindergarten through fifth grade.  If you’re not sure of which school is your boundary school, you can use the School Finder link here.

 

We ask that families with students new to DPS complete a pre-enrollment packet now.  This helps us get your student’s information into the DPS database.  You will receive a student ID for your student and additional information about how to set up a DPS Parent Portal account if you have not already done so. This allows a smoother enrollment process when completing School Choice.  Completing the pre-enrollment paperwork does not obligate you to attend a specific school nor does it guarantee enrollment in a specific program. Completed packets can be emailed to Ann_Kurth@dpsk12.net.

 

Once you have completed pre-enrollment and have a DPS Parent Portal, you should be all set to complete School Choice when the window opens.  Your Choice application can be completed any time during the Choice window.  We are told the District will send out Choice results at the end of February. 

 

Continuing 5th Grade Students

School tours are now available at many schools.  We’ve included links in the Panther Pages to the most common middle schools our students have attended in past years.  We strongly encourage all 5th grade families to complete School Choice during the first round as seats at some schools will fill up once the first window closes.

 

ECE-4 Information

This year the state of Colorado Universal PreSchool (UPK) program will be doing the initial ECE-4 placements. Students with siblings at an existing school will get priority placements.  Last year, students were placed in the order in which they applied on the UPK website.  We have not yet heard if this will be the case as well this year, but we would encourage families to apply when the window opens on December 9, 2025. In addition to the UPK application, families will need to complete a DPS School Choice application during Round 1. 

 

We have 20 spots in our ECE program.  In past years we have had large waitlists.  We encourage families to look at other ECE programs nearby as an alternative as we cannot promise a placement for all students.  

 

Important notes:

• Students must be four and not five years of age by October 1, 2026 in order to apply on the UPK website.  Those families with a five year old looking to place their student in ECE-4 can apply for any open seats through DPS School Choice during the Round 2 window in the spring.  

• Bus services are generally not available for ECE-4 students unless they have an older sibling that rides the bus and there is a paraprofessional that rides their assigned bus.  

• YMCA services are only eligible for students who are five years old or older.

 

More information about ECE-4 timelines can be found on the DPS PreSchool School Choice website and the UPK website.

 

Questions about Enrollment?  Contact bret_taber@dpsk12.net or call the PHE office: (720)424-4910

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Tour signups can be found below.