What documents do I need to apply?

All requested documentation must be provided with your application.

• Proof of residency
• Attendance record from current school
• Current report card from current school
• Transcript (high school students only)
• Discipline record from current school, if applicable

Any falsification, misrepresentation, or omission of required documents may disqualify an application.

Note: Incoming Prekindergarten and Kindergarten students may not have school records or other educational documentation to submit if they have not previously attended school.

How does the application process work?

Open Enrollment applications are accepted only during the designated application window. Applications for the 2026–27 school year are now closed.

1. Apply Online: Families interested in Open Enrollment must first complete the Open Enrollment Out-of-District Transfer Application and submit all required documentation.
2. Review: The District will review the transfer application and supporting documents to determine eligibility.
3. Decision  & Notification: Once the review is complete, families will receive an email notifying them if the student has been approved, denied, or placed on a waitlist.
4. Complete Enrollment: If the Open Enrollment transfer is approved, the family will then complete the Garland ISD enrollment application in Skyward.

Note: Failure to follow the terms of the transfer agreement may result in the transfer being revoked and may affect eligibility for future transfer requests.

Screening rubric: How eligibility is determined

*Students with suspensions/expulsions or DAEP/JJAEP placements will not be considered.

Application decisions

Approval and school placement

Once a student is determined to be eligible for an Open Enrollment Out-of-District Transfer, they will be considered for available seats at the campus selected on their application.

Placement is based on available space, program availability, completion of all required criteria, and the student’s position on the waitlist. If a seat becomes available, it will be offered according to the established waitlist order.

Waitlist

If space is not currently available, or if a student receives a screening score between 10 and 14, the student will be placed on the waitlist. Waitlist order is determined by the date and time the application was submitted.

Denial

An Open Enrollment application may be denied for reasons including:

• Not meeting the district’s eligibility criteria for the Open Enrollment Out-of-District Transfer program
• A history of attendance concerns, including excessive absences, tardies, or late pick-ups
• Disciplinary concerns
• Failing grades
• Falsification of information or documentation
• Limited space or program availability
• Limited campus staffing

Revocation

Failure to follow the terms of the transfer agreement may result in the transfer being revoked and may affect eligibility for future transfer requests.

Reasons for revocation

• Repeated failures to abide by the rules specified in the GISD Student Code of Conduct.
• The student commits a disciplinary infraction that mandates removal to the DAEP or JJAEP.
• A documented pattern of late arrivals, late pick-ups, and/or poor attendance.
• A lack of parental support of Open Enrollment program procedures and/or campus policies, practices, or regulations, including any tutoring assistance offered by the campus.
• Incidents of falsification of information.
• A failure to meet the Open Enrollment program criteria each year.

Revocation procedures

• A campus administrator must present reason(s) for recommended revocation to the designee in central administration.
• A campus administrator must hold a conference with the parent and inform the parent of the revocation and the reason(s) for the revocation.
• The revocation will result in immediate and permanent expulsion from the Open Enrollment program.